inside and out
by crasyducky
Summary: Kaoru is a bad ass artist who draws people for what she sees on the inside, but how will she draw Kenshin? KK OOC
1. Graffiti

"Miss Kamiya, This is the third time this week you've pulled a stunt like this." A male voice said.  
  
"Yes... yes it is...Keeping track now are we?" a more feminine voice spoke out of the darkened corner of the dull room.  
  
"Kaoru, you know I'm just trying to help." He said in a sincere voice and even though she chose not to look at him she could tell he wanted desperately to help her.  
  
"Yea, yea why don't you punish me already so I can get outa here?" Kaoru snapped back at the man.  
  
"Kaoru I...((sigh))I guess your right. You'll have to hand wash the graffiti off the walls and help the janitors clean up the lunch room." He said defeated and tired. The girl, Kaoru, stood up from her comfy chair and nonchalantly walked out of the office marked 'Principle.' The door swung open and nearly missed a few kids, Kaoru laughed at their misfortune.  
  
She sighed and stood in the threshold of the office watching the lives of so many people pass by her. She was in high school and she was livin' the high life. Kaoru's eyes shot up suddenly hearing her name, she scanned the hallway for the source of irritation but she didn't see anyone she knew.  
  
'People must be talking about me, that's all.' She thought trying to calm herself down. She turned around and closed the door, she began to walk down the hall way when she heard her name again. She whipped around looking for the person who had called her. Finding that no one had meant her to hear her name.  
  
Kaoru continued to walk casually until she got to her locker. She spun the knob and opened the lock. She pulled open the locker and a pile of cards fell out of her locker. She smiled when she saw Misao's handwriting on the top of each folded piece of paper.  
  
She bent down and picked them up in her arms and shoved them in her locker. She opened each one up reading the one line on each piece of paper. All together the note read:  
  
Kaoru,  
  
THAT WAS THE BEST STUNT YET! You defiantly know how to start a food fight! And you spray-painted the side of the building! Kaoru you must be in big trouble with the principal though. He must have chewed your ass out for everything you've done this week. Call me. Misao  
  
Kaoru laughed at her friend and tossed all the notes in the trash. She pulled out a pen and a notebook from her locker and walked down the hallway to art class. She was happy the principal never said when she had to clean every thing up so she could go to one of the only classes she ever went to. She slipped down the hallway walking slowly along the wall to room G13. She stepped into the room and sat down in her usual seat in the back dark corner.  
  
She was a few minutes early for this class like very day but the teacher let her do what she wanted in that time. Kaoru was an excellent artist and loved to draw. She had been painting since she was born and was called a prodigy by the age of 10.  
  
However Kaoru was never able to let her talent show to the world. Kaoru opened her notebook and began to draw. She drew a few animals to get warmed up and watched as students filled in. She loved to draw the inner features of people. She worked on a different person every day.  
  
Since Kaoru already knew all the lines you needed to draw and most of the artists of the world she didn't need to listen. Today she decided to work on Kenshin Himura.  
  
'This one will be good.' She thought grinning evilly. 'Kenshin Himura, I will have fun drawing you.' She thought still smiling like a fool. She began to draw the lines of his face and the shape of his head.  
  
She thought long and hard about him memories of earlier years came flooding into her mind. Times when he made fun of her, times when he was kind to her even times when he was perverted towards her.  
  
Flashback  
  
"Hey Kaoru, why do you have a bra on when you don't need it?" Kenshin asked leaning over the seat on the bus into her. He reached down and snapped the loose strap and she jumped.  
  
Kaoru turned to him angry and hurt, tears brimming her eyes. "K-K" She began about to spit out a nasty comment when the bus lurched to a screeching stop and she stood as quickly as she could, running off the bus.  
  
She ran so fast she didn't see the regret filling Kenshin's eyes and how sorry he looked as he watched her run off the bus.  
  
A few years later  
  
Kaoru was walking down the street and passed a group of guy, she could hear the cat-calls come from within the group and spread to become a vicious circle of hooting and hollering. Kaoru turned to find she only knew one of the boys in the circle, Kenshin Himura.  
  
"Kenshin!" She said in a forceful tone. He stepped forward out of the group smiling like a fool.  
  
"Yes, pretty thing?" He asked her.  
  
"If you know what's good for you you'll never say anything like that to me or any other girl again!" She said anger flooding her vision, filling her veins. Kenshin just smiled.  
  
"Of course I wont, I learned my lesson." He said in a sweet innocent voice. Kaoru knew she couldn't win against an idiot so she began to stomp away from them when she felt something below the equator.  
  
Pink slowly crept onto her cheeks due to anger and embarrassment. She turned around on her heal facing the whole group. Kenshin was standing close infront of her his hand suspended in mid-air.  
  
"Kenshin, you'll wish you never did that." She said as she began to chuckle a little. She raised her fist and it came hurdling toward his face...  
  
Earlier This Year   
  
Kaoru had been drawing her most recent portrait of her most favorite subject, People. She was drawing many people on a crowded sidewalk with one girl standing still beginning to cry. Kaoru felt sorrow when she drew it and lost her self in her painting.  
  
She was so lost in her own world Kaoru didn't realize she had begun to cry while connecting with the woman in the picture who had a strange resemblance of her. She felt a tap on her shoulder and her eyes snapped open wide and she looked around startled.  
  
Her eyes landed on Kenshin and she gulped hoping he thought she was some one else.  
  
"Kaoru, are you alright?" He asked her kindly. She wasn't sure what made her trust his sincerity but she just felt like she could trust the words flowing from his mouth.  
  
"I-I just, I'm fine." She said becoming surprisingly nice to him.  
  
"Are you sure, you are crying" Kenshin said emphasizing the word 'are.' Kaoru nodded.  
  
"Yes I'm fine, now you better get away from me." Kaoru said in a soft voice, which completely ruined the threat. Kenshin didn't find her intimidating when she didn't know what to say, or when her voice was soft and sweet like it was now. He felt like her voice could lull him to sleep but he wanted this conversation to keep going.  
  
"And what will you do if I don't get away?" He asked her.  
  
"What do you mean 'What will I do?'" Kaoru asked. Kenshin smiled.  
  
"Well normally your sentences end with an ' or I'll...'" Kenshin said playfully.  
  
"Or I'll personally make sure you take a long hike off a short peir...Happy?" Kaoru asked tilting her head back towards her painting. Kenshin reached over to her chin and gently pulled her face to look at him. He then took his other hand and wiped away the tears with his thumb.  
  
"Perfect." he said as he stood up and walked away leaving Kaoru confused.  
  
End Flash Back  
  
Then Kaoru realized she couldn't draw Kenshin. She had drawn perverts before and drawn people who were mean, she even drew nice people, who generally turned out to be more beautiful then they originally were.  
  
Kaoru loved comparing people, they always turned out to be opposite. For example a lot of the really ugly or really fat people turned out to be absolutely beautiful in her drawings, yet people who are beautiful in real life were ugly deformed drawings.  
  
Kaoru had quite a few pictures pinned up on her wall at home of what people really look like. But Kaoru couldn't put her finger on what Kenshin looked like. So like in any hard drawings she drew what she saw on the outside.  
  
She started with his irregular hair then went to his beautiful purple eyes. She eventually had his entire picture done when the end of class bell rang. Kaoru sat in her seat for a few minutes until every one in the class was gone.  
  
"Kaoru? Did you want to talk to me?" The teacher asked gathering her things.  
  
"Well I didn't plan on it but..." Kaoru began.  
  
"Say no more. Another internal portrait I presume? And if I may venture on a limb I assume it is of Himura Kenshin since you stared at him for the first twenty minutes of class." The teacher guessed while talking to her like a best friend.  
  
"Yea, But its not what you think, He was just the only person close enough to me to draw." Kaoru said.  
  
"And what do I think?" The teacher asked giving Kaoru a hard time. Kaorus eyes were half lidded and she looked at the teacher sarcastically. The teacher laughed.  
  
"Megumi, don't do this to me, I know exactly what you were thinking." Kaoru said to her.  
  
"Kaoru I don't know what you're talking about." Megumi said innocently. Kaoru handed Megumi the picture and she frowned. "Kaoru, this is not your regular portrait." She said.  
  
"I know Megumi, I know. But I don't know how to draw him." Kaoru said in a worried tone.  
  
"Well, Kaoru first you take your pencil in hand and draw a circle."  
  
"MEGUMI!" kaoru yelled.  
  
"Ok, OK Kaoru calm down. Don't worry, your talent is not dwindling." Megumi said. Kaorus face lit up and she smiled.  
  
"Megumi you always know what's on my mind." Kaoru said.  
  
"I know, and I know why you can't draw him. Its because his personality is to diverse. He's not always mean so you can't draw a hideous beast, but he can't be beautiful because he isn't always nice. I think you need to color this one in then make another one and make it ugly, color that one and make another beautiful one. Then color that one, then compare them and see which you like the most." Megumi said to her.  
  
"Thanks Megumi!" Kaoru said as she hugged her and ran out to the hallway. She closed her notebook quickly so no one saw her pictures and walked quickly to the courtyard.  
  
Kaoru sat down on a bench and began to draw in more detail. She finished all the shadowing for her picture and pulled some colored pencils out of her purse. She began to color the picture rubbing the color back and fourth when it had to blend. Kaoru colored all through the next block and finished within the hour.  
  
She began to draw an ugly picture but found she needed to see his face to draw him, even if it wasn't him. So she flipped to his realistic portrait and was able to draw. However no matter how hard she tried she was unable to erase his perfect eyes, which threw the whole picture off.  
  
Kaoru sighed and crumbled it up and threw it next to her. After an hour of drawing the ugly Kenshin she had come up with a pile of crumpled paper next to her. Kaoru sighed and flipped back to the realistic picture and smiled.  
  
"It's good. Just like looking in a mirror." A voice said from behind her. She jumped out of her skin and slowly turned around dreading the face she knew she'd see.  
  
"Kenshin, What do you want?" Kaoru asked masking her surprise.  
  
"The principal wants to see you." He said. Kaoru subconsciously unleashed her breath she was holding.  
  
"Is that all?" Kaoru asked walking towards the principals office. Kenshin followed right behind her. She hadn't noticed any one else was even in the hallway until he slowly began to reach south of the border.  
  
She turned around quickly catching him in the action.  
  
"What were you doing? And what are you doing following me?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"I was going to grab you're-"He started reaching in the same place. She stepped away and looked appalled. Kenshin followed her until she backed up against a wall. She was smiling since she won until he reached down to her side and grabbed her notebook from her hand.  
  
"I was going to grab you're notebook. And I'm following you because this period I work in the office." Kenshin said. Kaorus face began to flood red and she turned and began to walk away so he couldn't see her turn red like a tomato.  
  
Kenshin smiled having seen her turn red and he knew what she thought he was going to do, and he was tempted but decided to make her feel bad.  
  
Kaoru began to tune out his foot steps and became enchanted in her own world were she completely zoned out.  
  
"You're very good Kaoru." Kenshin said. When she didn't answer or even acknowledge him he thought she was ignoring him.  
  
"Well if you're going to ignore me I'll just stop talking," he said. He got no reply.  
  
"Kaoru?!" Kenshin whined, because he hated silence.  
  
"What!? Did you say something?" Kaoru asked being knocked out of her world.  
  
"Real mature Kaoru, real mature." Kenshin said.  
  
"Wasn't listening." Kaoru said to him beginning to zone out again.  
  
"Kaoru you space out a lot." Kenshin began. Kaoru opened the door and allowed it to close infront of Kenshin and she laughed when she heard a thud from him hitting the door. Kaoru walked into the office laughing when she heard Kenshin grumble as he re-opened the door.  
  
Kaoru sat down in her normal chair on the other side of the principals desk and propped her feet up on his desk. "What's up doc?" Kaoru asked him He reached over and knocked her feet down.  
  
"Kaoru, You have to clean the graffiti off the wall today, now. Also I will be assigning some one to help you." The principal said. Kaoru groaned.  
  
"Well, Misao is really good at cleaning you know. She just loves to clean; you know she cleans for a part-time job. I think she even cleaned graffiti off a train once." Kaoru said.  
  
The principal's eyes roamed to her notebook sitting on the desk and he smiled. "Kaoru this is phenomenal work, and it gives me a good idea." he said. Kaorus face fell even more than before when she realized what he was looking at.  
  
"Your not thinking-"Kaoru started. The principal looked at her with a smirk playing on his face and a twinkle in his eye.  
  
"Kaoru I have found you assistant." He said slapping her notebook down with Kenshin's picture face up.  
  
"Um, is that code for Misao?" Kaoru asked knowing the answer.  
  
"That's code for Kenshin." He said.  
  
"But-but why?" kaoru asked in a helpless tone.  
  
"Kenshin is in office duty during this period, he's a hard worker and has nothing to do here, and you seem to have taken a liking to him." He said looking at her picture.  
  
"Listen, Misao doesn't do anything, and um she can work hard I think and, um well you know I don't have a thing for him! Besides you know I draw every one." Kaoru said.  
  
"Yea ok, he's still your partner." The principal said. Kaoru groaned.  
  
"I can't believe you're making me do this." Kaoru whined. She walked out of his office and looked at Kenshin dreading the hour to come.  
  
"Kenshin, come with me" She sighed out. Kenshin looked up from his magazine.  
  
"Talking to me now?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru sighed and looked pleadingly to the laughing principal. He shooed her off with his hands and she stomped out of the office Kenshin looking confused slowly walked after her looking questioningly towards the principal.  
  
He walked after her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to look to him pulling head phones off her head.  
  
"Ya?" She asked him.  
  
"Well I was only wondering, what am I doing?" Kenshin asked sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, forgot to tell you." Kaoru said. After a pause kenshin spoke up.  
  
"Are you going to tell me?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Oh, yea. We have to clean the wall of graffiti." kaoru said.  
  
"Why do I have to?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Because our principal is evil." Kaoru said.  
  
"Oh." Kenshin said.  
  
They walked in silence to the wall on the side of the school were Kaoru spry-painted the school.  
  
"Kaoru, you should express your art some other way." Kenshin said.  
  
"Why?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"So I don't have to clean it off with you." Kenshin said smiling. Kaoru laughed shaking her head and grabbed a rag with goof-off on it. She began to clean the wall off with Kenshin.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own it, or goof-off. 


	2. The drive

Scrubbing harder and harder both of their arms were beginning to ach incessantly. Finally with a huff of exhaustion Kaoru sat on the green school grass looking at the rest of the wall she had to clean. Her eyes roamed across the building wall at her artwork, until they abruptly stopped on the red-haired menace.  
  
Her face scrunched up in a scowl thinking of everything he's done to her. She stood up and began to walk back into the school. At the sound of feet padding against the grass Kenshin turned to find Kaoru walking towards the front of the school. He quickly looked to her side of the wall to find it wasn't even half cleaned off.  
  
He scurried over to her and tapped her on the shoulder urgently not wanting her to get him in trouble. She tuned her head to see him with one eye over her shoulder, she rolled her eyes, and turn to look ahead of her again.  
  
"Kaoru, Where are you going?" Kenshin questioned. Kaoru ignored him and continued to walk through the door into the cool air-conditioned building. She smiled at the burst of cold air hit her face causing her hair to whip around at the back of her head.  
  
"Ignoring me now are we?" Kenshin asked with a huff. "Well two can play at this game." He said walking ahead of her and turning slightly in the direction of the office. Kaoru watched him lazily as she turned as well and stood in front of the water fountain.  
  
She nonchalantly bent down, pushed the button and took a sip of the cool water. Then she stood up and looked over at kenshin, a smirk playing on her lips. He was staring at her defeated but not ready to give up the fight.  
  
Kaoru began to walk slowly towards the door again refreshed and ready to get back to work destroying her own mural. She looked behind her to find Kenshin following her staring blankly at the walls.  
  
'She's such a mystery. She completely ignored me and made me look like a fool in five seconds...She should write a book.' Kenshin thought. 'How to make Kenshin Himura aggravated beyond belief-' He thought before she interrupted his thoughts.  
  
"You know Kenshin, if you think to hard your head will explode." She said smiling and pushing the doors open to a steaming, scorching day. Kenshin scowled.  
  
"You know Kaoru," Kenshin said mocking her. "If you're a bitch to long your head will explode." Kenshin said laughing to himself. Kaoru walked around to her half destroyed mural and forgot all about Kenshin and his remark.  
  
She frowned and grabbed a rag pouring goof-off on it. She began to scrub off her precious picture. She had worked a whole night on that, and now she had to clean it off.  
  
'It was ok when I made the picture and the janitors cleaned it off before the day was through, but when I actually have to ruin my work, its touchier.' Kaoru thought. Though she would never admit it, it was slowly killing her inside to whip it off the wall so easily as if it meant nothing to her. She vowed her self never to paint on the school wall again, or at least never put this much time into it.  
  
Kenshin looked over to her and saw how sadly she gazed at the wall while cleaning it off. He would have hugged her if she wasn't Kaoru, the badass, don't mess with me poster child. They were both startled out of their thoughts when the bell rang. They looked at each other and Kenshin motioned to leave.  
  
Kaoru just put her rag back on the wall and continued to rub removing the techno-color drawing. "Kaoru, shouldn't we get to class?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru shrugged.  
  
"I'm not going to class, but I don't mind if you want to." Kaoru said instantly forgetting he was there. So when he said something to her she didn't pay attention. After he repeated her name several times and she still didn't answer, so he tapped her on the shoulder.  
  
She turned surprised. "Yea?" She asked staring wide eyed from shock.  
  
"I said, I'll stay and clean with you if you want." He said calmly.  
  
She looked despondently back at the wall and shrugged. She continued to rub the wall and stopped when she heard another person scrubbing the wall and smiled inside. So for the next hour they both scrubbed away the emotion,  
the confidence and the will power of Kaoru's painting.  
  
Some time later  
  
"Kaoru? Were are you going?" Kenshin asked jogging to catch up with her.  
  
"Home." She said dully.  
  
"But school isn't over." Kenshin said.  
  
"It is for me. Care to ditch?" Kaoru offered half-heartedly not really wanting him to say yes.  
  
"Well since there's only one more period left..." Kenshin said. Kaoru groaned quiet enough that he didn't hear her.  
  
She sighed. "If your coming with me there's something we need to do first." She said walking back towards the school. She opened the door with Kenshin following. She walked past the principal's office waving at him smiling and giving a thumbs up when he mouthed are you finished.  
  
Once the principal was out of seeing range she rolled her eyes. She didn't want the principal walking outside to see if they were done later that evening. They walked through the hustle and bustle of every one calmly. Kaoru turned around to face him and said loudly. "Stop following me!" She turned around and snickered lightly when people were staring at Kenshin stock still in the hallway.  
  
She turned into a small dark alcove and waited patiently. Once she saw him walking past her hiding place she reached out and pulled him in with her. Kenshin looked around surprised until his eyes landed on her.  
  
"What was that? A publicity stunt." Kenshin said. Kaoru put her finger on his mouth.  
  
"No you idiot. I had to do something. You have obviously never ditched before." She said. "Or at least not with a person like me." She said after receiving a look from Kenshin.  
  
"I don't understand." He said.  
  
She rolled her eyes at his idiocy. "If people saw us walking together, or at least saw you following me. Well, not that I care just I don't want people thinking I'm.... how should I put this, friendly." She said looking around making sure no one could see through the shadow.  
  
"Oh, god forbid..." Kenshin said sarcastically.  
  
"This time stay further away from me if you know what's good for you." Kaoru seethed through semi-clenched teeth. Kenshin chuckled then looked into her deep blue eyes and his face fell.  
  
"Ok!" He said. She rolled her eyes putting her hand on her forehead and shaking her head. She stepped from the light and began to casually walk waving and smiling to people she knew.  
  
She walked further away and saw him emerge from the darkness after she was a good distance away and the people who saw her come out of the darkness had long passed. He didn't want them thinking anything since he was alone in the dark with kaoru.  
  
She slowly slipped out of a door Kenshin soon following. She walked down the sidewalk and coughed when she saw a teacher.  
  
"Miss Kaoru? Why aren't you in class?" The teacher questioned then his eyes widened in pure shock when he saw who was with her.  
  
"Himura?" The teacher asked in alarm. The teacher's head was visibly spinning.  
  
Kaoru coughed a deep throaty cough. "I-I'm sick" She said pretending to have a stuffy nose and surprisingly her face began to pale and look almost green. "Himura is escorting me to my house. I can't drive alone." She said shivering and coughing again.  
  
Kenshin wrapped his arm around her shoulder and smiled nodding. He rubbed her other shoulder with his other hand pretending to warm her up.  
  
"Will you be ok? Do you want a coat?" The teacher asked concerned.  
  
"Once I get home I'll be fine. I have a coat in my c-car." She said putting on the illusion of being cold by wrapping her arms around herself and smiling at Kenshin gratefully. The teacher smiled and nodded walking into the school.  
  
"I hope you feel better. Drive safe Himura, you're excused from class today." He said. Kenshin nodded then looked down at Kaoru and "helped" her walk towards her car.  
  
"Thanks." Kenshin said over his shoulder. They walked to her car and she slid into the passenger seat. He looked confused and slid behind the wheel.  
  
"Why am I driving?" He asked.  
  
She coughed and nodded slightly in the direction of the teachers staring out their windows at them. He nodded and started up the car. Kaoru had a red spider convertible with black racing strips down the front. Kaoru clicked her seat belt shut.  
  
The car raced down the street not wavering above or below the speed limit. Kaoru looked in the mirror and closed her eyes, when they opened again her cheeks were their regular color and she stopped coughing frequently.  
  
She pulled the hair tie out of her hair letting her raven colored hair whip around her face. "Well Kenshin, your free." She said turning slightly to him. He looked from her to the road a few times his purple eyes shinning and his flaming red hair tickling the nape of his neck.  
  
"Thanks Kaoru." Kenshin said.  
  
"For?" She asked.  
  
"For letting he ditch with you. I know you only asked to be polite," he said as she sweat dropped. "So, I'm going to take you were ever you want to go." Kenshin said to her. She looked questioningly towards his smiling face.  
  
"Your going to take me where ever I want to go? In my car?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin smiled and nodded.  
  
"I'm driving aren't I?" He said to her. Kenshin pulled to a stop and Kaoru reached over him. He looked surprised. "What are you doing?" He almost shouted distressed. Every one who heard him looked at him weird. He smiled and waved then looked at what she was fiddling with.  
  
She had the seat belt in her hands and she was pulling it up then down to the left right then she pulled it across his chest and clicked it in. She then looked at the scenery around her resting her head on her hand on the car door.  
  
Kenshin looked at her as if she were crazy. After a while the cars behind him honked the horn and he stepped on the gas nearly crashing her car. She sat up at the sudden movement and looked to him. He was still looking at her but looked at the road every few seconds.  
  
"What was that back there?" He asked.  
  
"What?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"You could have asked me to put my seat belt on." Kenshin said.  
  
"Oh, well when my other friends drive they are either concentrating on the road and ask me anyway or they can't figure it out... there's a special way you have to turn the seat belt for it to move and-" Kaoru said being cut  
off by him.  
  
"Whatever. Where do you want to go?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"I don't care, but I'm hungry." Kaoru said as Kenshin pulled into a Wendy's. They ordered and ate inside her car in the parking lot. Kaoru leaned back her chair and closed her eyes enjoying the day when Kenshin pulled sharply out of the parking lot.  
  
"Were are we going?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru shrugged and he poked her in the side sending her into a fit of giggles. "Don't touch me," She said in- between laughing.  
  
"Why?" he said poking her there again. She began to laugh hard and would have jumped out of the car if they weren't on the highway. He poked her again and she continued laughing like crazy. "Because, I'm" She continued to laugh. "Ticklish."  
  
Kenshin began to laugh at her and she stopped laughing and sat up glaring at him. "Are you laughing at me?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin nodded and poked her again. "Your laughing makes me laugh." Kenshin said.  
  
"Were are we going?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"You'll see." Kenshin said. After about half an hour of Kenshin poking the whole way the car stopped infront of a small park. Kenshin cupped his hands over her eyes and lead her towards the swings.  
  
"Kenshin, what are you doing?" Kaoru asked annoyed at his childish antics.  
  
"You'll see." Kenshin said sitting her down. She felt the wind still caressing her face and whipping her hair around. Kenshin's hands slowly moved away from her eyes and she opened them gasping. He sat down next to her soaking in his surroundings and watching her face delighted.  
  
The view Kaoru saw was breath taking. Sakura trees were covering the park, flowers blooming. Through the trees she could see a cliff, the ground abruptly stopping and falling into the ocean. Further out to sea she could see a small island with a huge beautiful mansion resting in the sandy grass.  
  
"Kenshin it's beautiful." Kaoru said. She suddenly grabbed her notebook and a pen and began to lightly sketch the view. She was drawing the trees with the flowers floating gently to the ground. She drew the sudden drop off and the small island with a house.  
  
Kaorus sketch was almost perfect. 'Wow, she really should try to draw in other places besides the wall on our school.' Kenshin thought in awe. Kaoru finished soon and looked at him.  
  
"What?" She said roughly defending her art from any criticism that might come. She held her notebook tightly to her chest. Kenshin smiled looking into her eyes.  
  
"Kaoru, its beautiful." Kenshin said. Kaoru slowly let go of her notebook allowing it to drop to her lap.  
  
"Oh." She said looking away. She stood up and walked through the flowers towards the car. Kenshin stood up sensing something was wrong.  
  
'Did I say something wrong?' Kenshin thought. Kaoru sighed an opened the door jumping in behind the wheel. She fiddled with the seat belt and buckled it. Kenshin quickly got in before she left him. He buckled up as well learning from his experience.  
  
Kaoru hit the gas petal speeding out of the park and onto the expressway further up the road.  
  
"Which way Kenshin." Kaoru asked looking away from him. He pointed to the right, even though that was the wrong way. Kaoru turned not realizing Kenshin was leading her to his house. After a few minutes Kaoru was on a deserted road leading to the small island she saw with the mansion.  
  
"Kenshin, I think I took a wrong turn." Kaoru said to him.  
  
"No you were resting when we were here." kenshin said lying through his teeth. Kaoru nodded and the road soon ended leading into a drive way to the mansion.  
  
"Resting?" Kaoru asked him not believing him.  
  
Kenshin jumped out of the car and walked over to her side. He reached over the door unbuckled her seat belt turned off the car and opened the door for her.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kaoru asked. Kenshin smiled holding a hand out to help her out of the car. She pushed it away and stood up herself. She looked around awestricken but determined to find out what Kenshin had brought her here for. She eyed him suspiciously and followed him through the door of the mansion.  
  
"Kenshin, I knew you were a prep but I didn't know preps broke into houses." Kaoru said surprised keeping her voice low incase some one was home.  
  
"Kaoru, I live here." Kenshin said.  
  
"Bull shit Kenshin." Kaoru said laughing.  
  
"I'm not shittin' you. This is my house." Kenshin said. Kaoru laughed at him.  
  
"Yea right." She said. Kenshin looked at her and smiled shaking his head at her ignorance.  
  
"Kaoru if I didn't live here why would there be pictures of me my mom and dad?" Kenshin asked. Kaoru looked all along the long hallway to find pictures of him and his parents, Kodak and painted.  
  
"Oh." Kaoru said feeling stupid. "What are we doing here?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Well" Kenshin said walking up to the door and locking it. "If it kills me I'm going to figure you out." Kenshin said to her. Kaoru quirked an eyebrow up in confusion  
  
"What?" She shrieked. Kenshin smiled.  
  
"I want to know why you were so protective of your art. Why you seemed to be afraid of what I was going to say about it." Kenshin said in a kinder, gentler voice.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about." Kaoru said turning around so she didn't have to look at him.  
  
"See, that's what I'm talking about." Kenshin said loudly walking up the stairs. Kaoru looked around in the dark and quickly flew up the stairs towards him. She latched herself on his arm looking around fear controlling her movements.  
  
Once she realized what she had done she jumped off of him walking behind him looking around her at the dull red walls pictures staring at her through the dark light. She was scared of the dark and just wanted to get into a bright room with windows for walls.  
  
They opened a door and walked into a blindingly light room kenshin called his own. Every thing was white, large, expensive, and neat. Kaoru looked in wonder at how clean everything was.  
  
"Everything is so, clean." Kaoru said. Kenshin laughed.  
  
"I'm a neat freak." Kaoru thought of her room clothes tossed everywhere, dark room, dirt chunks buried under everything, the polar opposite of kenshin. Kenshin was sitting on this bed waiting for Kaoru to sit as well just watching her.  
  
She sat down and looked at him.  
  
"Kaoru..." kenshin began.  
  
((A/N: I was so surprised at how many people reviewed to the first chapter. I'm sure lots of em' only read it because they have me on author alert but I got so many. And my reviews were so helpful. Thank you so much!))  
  
Reviewers: jmi102- thank you, I never thought I had a writing style heh heh. I hope to see more Rurouni Kenshin characters too but I don't know how im going to work this story. Dragonslayer- I'm trying to write as fast as I can. Animeluvergal-love the screen name by the way heh heh. I wonder what's gonna happen next to. Kenshin's-angel- Yup I love to draw too. And I thought it would be a good idea though I could never draw what I see on the inside I thought it would be a good idea. XxSilentxdreamerxX- well im updating but I don't know if I like this chapter. Reignashii- here's the next chapter Bradybunch4529- you think it's interesting? Really thanks, I just always read were Kenshins a bad ass and stuff so I wanted to mix it up a but and stick it to the man, heh heh NekoYokai-here it is Lady Misao kenshin-the whole homophones will probably stay because im not in school right now for grammar so I don't care to fix my little mistakes and my computer said it was right. Sakura Hopes- thanks and yes I love to draw...well copy actually I have picture of kenshin on the computer and I can copy it on a sheet of paper by hand and I think there good. Nigihayami hakuro- this review was extremely helpful and made me want to write more. And I understand about the narrorator thing but I don't know how to stop it heh, not good. Ill try to tone it down if I can, thanks for the review. kean- the language is ok with me. Thanks for the review. nobody- heh heh the inside of people can be tricky to draw. Shattered heart- thanks for the review. 


	3. the moment

"Kaoru..." Kenshin began. "Why are you so protective of your art?" He asked innocently.  
  
"What are you, a shrink?" Kaoru asked irritated. Kenshin smiled and laughed.  
  
"You could say that. I took a psychology class for 4 years." Kenshin said.  
  
"Oh," was Kaoru's brilliant answer.  
  
"Anyway, lets start with an easy question. Why are you so protective of your art?" Kenshin asked once more.  
  
"That's supposed to be easy?" Kaoru squeaked out. Kenshin nodded. "Well, what if I don't want to answer you?" Kaoru asked and Kenshin sighed.  
  
"Then I'll move on to a harder question, you have to answer something, or you'll be here all night." Kenshin said a sparkle of mischief in his eyes and a smirk plastered awkwardly on his face. Sensing a long night Kaoru released a sigh of exhaustion and slowly began to open her mouth.  
  
'I don't want to tell him, don't say it Kaoru ol' gal, don't do it! Kaoru! I'm gonna do it aren't I-' Her mind screamed before she interrupted her own thoughts by speaking.  
  
"Well," She sighed again lying back on his bed staring at his sparkling ceiling. "A bad childhood experience caused me to take criticism in a rather... bad way." She began trying to be as vague as she could.  
  
'Tell him the smallest amount of information possible and you'll be outa here in no time.' She told herself.  
  
"Ok? I'll find that out later, I guess. You thirsty?" Kenshin asked standing and walking down the stairs.  
  
"Sure," Kaoru said watching his back as he descended down the stairs. She looked side to side and her eyes widened when she thought she heard a voice. "Kenshin! Don't leave me all alone up here." She screamed to him all the way down the staircase. She ran out of his room and leaned over the railing staring down at him.  
  
"Are there any lights in this house or what?" She asked down to him squinting trying to see his outline. Though she couldn't see he smiled and walked to a wall and flipped a light switch revealing his house. Everything was ivory, ((poor elephants)) marble, mahogany, cedar, glass, and metal. Everything was cut precisely and accurately to show a gleaming shimmering house spotless and on it's way to perfection, with the help of the employees.  
  
Kaoru marveled at its beauty and almost fell off the balcony. She didn't feel as afraid with the lights on but she still didn't like huge spaces. She jumped onto the railing and let go. She slid down the banister with agility and speed.  
  
Kenshin's eyes grew wide and he ran to the end of the banister afraid she would fly into the wall. While Kenshin was afraid for her safety she was shouting in delight. By the time Kenshin reached the bottom of the railing Kaoru was speeding off of it and into his ready arms.  
  
Her eyes grew wide at the feeling of Kenshin's strong arms wrapped around her. Kaoru began to feel panicky and afraid yet strangely warm and comfortable. She quickly began squirming until he released her. She scurried away from him breathing slightly harder and irregular.  
  
She stood at least 20 feet from him and she was still taking small steps away. "I-I could have jumped off myself. I didn't need your help." Kaoru said silently beginning to straiten up. She straitened her clothes and combed her hair with her fingers.  
  
"I'll remember that next time." He said walking into the kitchen. She ignored him and decided the kitchen was close so she could go have a look around, if anything jumped out and tried to kill her Kenshin would be right there.  
  
She walked down a red hallway and marveled at the pictures from before. Then she took a left into a large living room. It was a light blue and had many couches and chairs. She walked through it into a dinning room with a large table in the middle and a steel bar in the corner.  
  
Kaoru walked through many doors and began to stare at many different things. More and more she looked at this huge house, never seeing the same thing twice, and more and more she had wished she still lived with her stepmother.  
  
"Mamma always wanted a huge house," Kaoru said to herself. "But mamma never got one, step mamma did." Kaoru said in a somewhat depressed tone. She then brightened up when she walked into a yellow room that cheered her right up.  
  
"Wow, its just like a museum," Kaoru said in amazement. She walked into one more room before she looked around and realized, she didn't know were she was.  
  
"Kenshin?" She whispered. She shook her head and looked at her feet.  
  
"I hate you two, you always take me to the wrong places at the wrong time." She said to her feet looking up and beginning to walk back from were she came. However, she found herself in rooms she never visited. Then she sat down on her butt and decided to wait.  
  
After about five minutes Kaoru got bored and decided to find Kenshin. She stood up and walked out the door. When her door closed another opened to the same room and in walked Kenshin.  
  
"Kaoru!" He said loudly to see if she was playing a game or something. 'I hope she didn't loose herself.' Kenshin thought. And for about another hour Kenshin and Kaoru were just a few seconds late in meeting each other.  
  
An Hour Later  
  
Kaoru was beginning to tire from walking so she sat down on a couch in a green room and lay her head back to rest. It only took her a few minutes to drift into a peaceful sleep and the door opened slowly. Kenshin looked around hazily and saw her lying on the couch sleeping softly.  
  
'She looks like an angel when she sleeps, and it's refreshing once and a while to see a smile on her face instead of a scowl.' Kenshin thought. He watched her for a few minutes and debated whether or not he should pick her up and move her to a bed.  
  
'No, after the way she reacted by the banister, no I don't think I'll pick her up.' Kenshin decided. He sat down next to her and watched her sleep for a little longer. Though he was disturbed when her beautiful angelic face twisted into a snarl of disgust.  
  
But Kaoru never woke up, she began to lightly toss and turn in her sleep. Her breathing became heavy and jagged and her eyebrows pointed down in frustration. She was having a nightmare and Kenshin was troubled by it.  
  
'No angel should look like that,' Kenshin thought. 'I can't believe I just thought that.' Kenshin reflected concerned by his own conscience. Soon he found himself drifting into sleep. He closed his eyes vowing to wake in five minutes, wake Kaoru up and either move somewhere else or take her home.  
  
But five minute turned into ten and ten grew into a half an hour. Kenshin was in a deep sleep and it was already way past mid-night.  
  
Bright greenish sunlight hit Kaoru's eyelids and her eyes fluttered open to a bright new day. She closed her eyes once again and wanted to fall back asleep, ignoring the alarm clock in her head, set for wake up time for school. She planned on ditching today anyway, or at least, now she planned on ditching.  
  
Her eyes opened again as if her mind was telling her to wake up but she closed them tight again. Then something registered in her head and her eyes snapped open to a very green sight.  
  
The entire room was green, green chairs, green walls, green carpet and everything. She couldn't remember when she painted her room green and got it refurnished or why she did for that matter, she hated green. But then again something about the room looked familiar.  
  
'Kenshin,' ran across her mind but she didn't know why. Then all the memories from the other day came flooding back into her vacant mind. 'AHH! Why am I still in his house, wow, I've been with him for way to long.' Kaoru thought shaking her head.  
  
A cold breeze floated in through the open window and danced on top of her pale skin. Goose bumps began to rise on her arms and she absentmindedly reached for the blanket she had on to pull it up over her shoulders. She grabbed the cloth and lifted it up almost dropping it from the weight.  
  
She looked to the fabric in her hand and was horrified at what she saw. 'A hand?!' Kaorus mind screamed. She dreaded what the hand was connected to but found out anyway. She followed the hand up the arm and eventually into the face of the one she didn't want to see.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed horrified. He jolted awake and lifted his head from his "pillow". Kaoru's heart began to beat faster and faster and her  
vision became blurry. She blinked a few times and concentrated on not  
freaking out.  
  
'No more panic attacks, no more panic attacks!" Kaoru's mind screamed to her as she looked at Kenshin. He smiled a goofy, early morning smile and lay back down on her keeping one arm snaked around her waist and the other laying on her stomach where she had dropped it.  
  
He snuggled into her and mumbled five more minutes. "Kenshin." Kaoru said in the sternest voice she could muster in her condition. He lifted his head so he was resting his chin on her hip. Half lidded eyes looked up to her, the smile completely vanished from his face.  
  
"I can't believe I'm going to say this but, School?" Kaoru said cringing at the last word. Kenshin's head slipped back down onto her and he began to fall asleep again as if he had gone to bed just a little while ago.  
  
'This would be fine with me, if it weren't Kenshin. I would gladly go back to sleep and ditch if it wasn't Kenshin's couch I was sleeping on and Kenshin who was here with me.' Kaoru thought dismally. 'And to top it off, now I have to go to school just because I was stupid enough to offer Kenshin to ditch with me.' Kaoru thought sighing.  
  
"Kenshin, wake up." Kaoru said her voice showing her irritation. Kenshin's head dint even move this time just his hand twitched.  
  
"I'm not messin' with you Kenshin, get up." Kaoru said. Kenshin just wrapped his arms all the way around her and squeezed. Kaoru froze her mind desperately working a plan to get her out of the situation but her limbs just wouldn't function.  
  
The only thing that seemed to work on Kaoru's body was her mouth. "Kenshin! Get your slimy hands off me right now if you know what's good for you!" Kaoru screamed. Kenshin jumped and pulled his arms away from her and wrapped them around his head.  
  
Kaoru couldn't believe how he was only vaguely listening to her. Well next time she will be more specific. "Kenshin Himura!" Kaoru shouted, his name echoing through the house.  
  
"Get off your lazy bum, take a shower, and get dressed, and ready for school!" She shrieked. Kenshin jumped off of her and sat up strait looking into her eyes with perplexity.  
  
"Kaoru?" Kenshin asked. "Kaoru?" he asked again as if he couldn't believe she was in his house.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru bellowed. She startled him and he jumped.  
  
"Kaoru? What are you doing in my h-oh yeah!" Kenshin said napping his fingers and smiling.  
  
"Yeah. You locked the door; I fell asleep and awoke to..." Kaoru began not wanting to finish her sentence. Voicing the fact that he slept on her would make it final, writing it in stone. So she shut her trap.  
  
"Sorry, you were warm, I was cold, and so I moved towards you. I can't help what happens when I sleep." Kenshin said as-a-matter-of-factly. Kaoru scowled and stood up finally free from the dead weight of Kenshin.  
  
"Can't believe im going to do this," Kaoru mumbled. "Kenshin, where's your shower? Im getting ready for school." Kaoru grumbled miserably loud enough for him to hear her.  
  
"School? You?" Kenshin said in doubt.  
  
"Well yea I guess." She said afraid of her own voice. 'When I get mad I say whatever comes to mind, just don't open your mouth Kaoru.' she thought.  
  
"I never thought I'd see the day when Kaoru Kamiya would want to go to school." Kenshin said in bewilderment.  
  
"Listen, I only want to go to school to get away from you." Kaoru said. "Besides, im sure the principal is pissed." She muttered. 'That plan worked.' She thought sarcastically.  
  
"All right, whatever you say." Kenshin said, lazily saluting to her. He lay back down on the couch and closed his eyes.  
  
"Kenshin, were is the shower?" Kaoru asked getting irritated. Kenshin sat up studying the room. He looked very thoughtful and drew a map in the air.  
  
"Can't find your way in your own house?" Kaoru asked laughing at him.  
  
"We just moved here a year ago and got it refurnished last month." Kenshin said. "It's a big ass house to." He whispered to himself.  
  
"I think there is a shower two rooms to the left. If not come back here and I'll show you the way back to my room." Kenshin said plopping back on the couch. He quickly fell asleep and Kaoru took her shower watching the time.  
  
Ten Minuets Later  
  
Kaoru walked out of the shower wrapped in a towel. She walked through another room and found the room she thought Kenshin was in. She knocked on the door and with no response she opened it up. She walked over to the green couch and found the same lump there was before.  
  
"Kenshin, I need clothes." She said. When he didn't move she put her hand on his shoulder and shook it hard. He lifted his head and got a full view of Kaoru's creamy legs. He looked up and his examination was cut short by a towel. His eyes roamed up to her face riddled with mystification.  
  
"Uhh..." Kenshin said uncertain of exactly what to say. Kaoru looked down at him with repulsion.  
  
"Clothes." She said annoyed by his ignorance. He snapped out of the state of confusion he was currently lost in and looked into her eyes.  
  
"Yea, sure." He said jumping up. He opened the door and allowed her to walk before him so he could get a glimpse of her legs and possibly her behind. Kaoru stood by the wall waiting for him to come out from the room and saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes.  
  
"Lead me to your room." She said dully. He began to walk and she tailed behind him afraid of anyone who might jump out. Before she knew it she was standing infront of his door and she lightly took a step into his room. Kenshin pointed to a small door on the right side of his room saying something about it holding clothes.  
  
Kaoru walked quickly to the closet and shut the door behind her. She flipped the light switch and was amazed to see a huge walk in closet with clothes that seemed to never end. She threw the clothes she was wearing the other day to the floor and cringed.  
  
"This kid has more clothes here than I've ever had." Kaoru said. Wearing the bra from yesterday she went on search for a shirt. She found herself drawn to a red button down shirt with ¾ sleeves. She tried it on looking in the full-length mirror and to her surprise it accented her natural curves excellently.  
  
She smiled in satisfaction and looked for pants next. She didn't want to look like she was a prep or had a whole new wardrobe at school so she borrowed a pair of regular black jeans that were faded on the knees and dragged on the floor.  
  
She looked in the mirror and was happy with what she saw, it wasn't exactly normal for her to wear shirts like this but she could say she had a big family party right after school. She picked up the towel and her dirty clothes and stepped out of the closet.  
  
Kenshin was nowhere to be found so she threw the towel on her head and began to dry her hair. Then everything went quiet and she heard the shower begin to run. She walked over to his dresser found a comb and brushed her hair neatly. She pulled it into a ponytail not wanting her shirt to get wet and finding it easier to manage.  
  
She jumped onto his bed staring up at the ceiling counting the little specks out of boredom. When the door of the bathroom opened Kenshin walked out and Kaoru sat up thinking he was ready to leave...She was wrong.  
  
Kaoru's mouth would have dropped if it weren't Kenshin standing infront of her naked except a small towel loosely wrapped around his waist. His fiery red hair was free and dangling in his face-dripping wet. He donned a white towel hardly even covering him, and his brilliant purple eyes seemed to glow as they pierced through his bangs and made a sharp contrast against his pale-as-death skin.  
  
'His scar almost looks like it's...burning.' She thought to herself as he smiled his trademark grin. Kaoru sat wide-eyed watching his every move as still as a statue on the bed. He slowly began to walk towards the closet hesitating as if something big was about to happen.  
  
He walked in and closed the door behind him releasing an unnoticed breath. He liked the way Kaoru had looked at him and laughed to himself.  
  
'Did I look at Kaoru like that before?' Kenshin asked himself while choosing his clothes for the day. He chose a tight muscle shirt and baggy black jeans. Kenshin walked out into his room and over to his desk. He brushed his wild relentless hair into a low ponytail at the nape of his neck and put on a black beaded necklace.  
  
He sprayed phoenix axe on and turned to her. "Ready?" He asked. She nodded casually and stood up. They walked side by side out on the balcony. Kaoru jumped on the railing and looked to Kenshin challengingly. A tint of fear was in replace of mischief in Kenshin's eyes.  
  
He took a deep breath and knew even if he got down their in time Kaoru would be pissed if he touched her. So he strode down one stair and Kaoru made a disapproving noise.  
  
"Kenshin you sissy!" She yelled grabbing his arm and roughly pulling his towards her. He came flying at her and she smiled. "Your coming down with me!" She said as she moved over so he hit the railing hard. Kenshin shook his head and she patted next to her.  
  
"No way!" He said.  
  
"Kenshin." She said as if she was talking to a child. "Either your sliding on the railing or ill toss you off the edge, which way do you want to get down there?" Kaoru asked. He hesitantly hopped next to her and she smiled her eyes sparkling with laughter.  
  
She grabbed his hand making sure he would come with and she scooted were the railing tilted. They both slid down it with lightning speed Kenshin staring intently at the ground and Kaoru with her hands in the air screaming with joy. Kaoru was lighter than Kenshin and she eventually got further ahead of him jumping off at the end laughing.  
  
Kenshin still had to land and was afraid but felt light when she laughed. Kenshin built up momentum and was out of control when he reached the end. He flew off the railing flying towards the laughing Kaoru. She was laughing and didn't see him soaring towards her. He hit her with a crash and they fell to the floor limbs intertwined with each other.  
  
"Look out." Kenshin said quietly opening his eyes. ((Animeluvergal this is for you)) For a minuet they shared an awkward moment trying not to look into each other's faces. Kenshin pulled himself to look away and Kaoru was already having trouble seeing anything else but the man on top of her.  
  
Soon their eyes met; purple clashing with dark blue. He looked deep into the depths of her blue orbs and Kaoru saw far into his purple eyes. The world surrounding them seemed to stop and fade away. Kenshin pushed against the floor so he wasn't lying on her preventing her from breathing.  
  
He got off of her but his face seemed to get closer to hers. His eyes were half closed gazing intensely at her with craving. She couldn't pull her eyes away from his no matter how desperately she tried.  
  
'He's so close...' Kaoru thought the urgency of her decision diminishing to a mere contemplation. Kenshin moved closer to her but withdrew from the dull shock in her eyes.  
  
'Doesn't she want this as much as I do...?' Kenshin questioned himself hoping his judgment hadn't faded.  
  
Kaoru sensing his hesitation pulled closer but couldn't bring herself to make contact. He recoiled a bit not expecting her to get so close. Neither one moved for a while not knowing what to do next or who was going to do it.  
  
'To hell with it, I already told him I wanted to go to school, could this be any more shocking?' Kaoru told herself in her mind. She reached up with her hand and lay it on top of his X shaped scar. She softly stroked his cheek, almost coaxing him to come closer.  
  
She traced his scar with her finger and traced a line down to his chin leading him towards her face. She partly closed her eyes as he slowly let her finger pull him towards her. His lips parted slightly and he closed his eyes.  
  
DING DONG! Kaorus eyes shot open and her head whipped towards the door her hair brushing against his face. He was startled and opened his eyes distressed. He looked to the door then back down to Kaoru who was looking up to him innocently now.  
  
"Sano," Kenshin said in a husky voice. Goose bumps formed in a ripple down her arms and the towering shadow coming from the window confirmed it. Kenshin turned back to her and put his finger on her chin moving her head from looking at the window by the door to him.  
  
"Where were we?" Kenshin asked in a lust filled voice. Kaoru hid a cringe from the way he talked and instead her eyes took on a personality all their own. They began to sparkle as if they were telling Kenshin 'You remember...' The same goofy smile stayed glued to his face and he began to close the gap between them.  
  
DING DONG! The doorbell rang again. DING DONG! DING DONG! DING DONG! It rang relentlessly. Kenshin groaned and rose to his knees. Kaoru sat on the ground with a look on her face as if she had a sudden realization of something. Kenshin opened his mouth to ask when the doorbell rang again.  
  
((A/N: Animeluvergal wanted the love scene and that's what you got...but I want to keep this story going for longer than 3-4 chapters so I couldn't have them make contact sorry.)) 


	4. Tell me

DING DONG! Kenshin grunted and stood up stepping over Kaoru to the door. Kaoru's eyes grew wide and she stood up quickly and ran up the stairs. She opened the door to his room and slammed it right as Sano stepped in the house. His eyes roamed up to the room raising an eyebrow at Kenshin.  
  
"Dude what took you so long?" Sano asked punching Kenshin in the arm. He smiled but remained silent. Sano was waiting for an answer but didn't get one.  
  
"Are you going to answer me or are we going to leave?" Sano asked impatiently. Kenshin forgot he was going to walk to school with Sano today.  
  
"Oh, man I forgot. I was busy this morning." Kenshin said smiling a big ridiculous smile. Sano smirked and turned to walk away.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kenshin asked Sano's retreating form.  
  
"I'm going to leave both of you alone. By the way, sorry for interrupting." Sano said walking down the sidewalk.  
  
'How does he always know?' Kenshin thought. He closed the door looked at the clock and figured he had enough time to coax Kaoru out of his room and walk to school. He took the stairs two at a time and knocked on the door. He didn't hear anything so he walked in seeing Kaoru sitting on his bed her eyes closed hugging her knees.  
  
Instantly he was worried and ran to her side. He touched her shoulder and she jumped and pulled away scrambling to the other end of the bed. She looked at him with fear sketched into her face and her eyes overflowing with inner turmoil.  
  
"Kaoru I-We" he tried to spit out but the words were jumbled in his mouth. Kaoru closed her eyes and when they opened a few minutes later they were unreadable and hard as a stone.  
  
"When we walk to school, stay as far away from me as possible got it?" She spat out at him. Her words were like venom and Kenshin didn't understand. He just nodded his head with out really listening to what she said. She stood up walking roughly past him and down the stairs.  
  
'What happened? She-she...' Kenshin thought in astonishment. He followed her down the stairs and they walked out the door towards the school. Kenshin stayed a good 50 feet away from her. It was almost as if he was afraid of her looking at his feet and occasionally glancing up at her.  
  
She walked down the sidewalk the school in sight. She had a grimace painted on her face and her eyes hard as rock. She knew Kenshin wouldn't come near her and he would be crazy to try to talk to her.  
  
'Don't look back Kaoru, don't look back...' She thought grimly. Almost running up the stairs to the school she quickly walked to her locker contemplating a plan to evade Kenshin. She opened it up fished around pulled out a note book and closed it. She turned to walk to her class and almost ran into her slightly smaller friend Misao.  
  
"Kaoru where were you yesterday I called you 12 times! What's wrong you look so-oh I know...I know that look. Who is it?" Misao asked in a rush of words. Kaoru was having trouble sorting out everything she said.  
  
"Um, I don't know what you're talking about." Kaoru said staring at her blankly.  
  
"Uh huh...sure." Misao said sarcastically. "So who is it?" Misao asked beginning to turn around. Kaoru began to walk side by side next to Misao shaking her head.  
  
"Misao I really don't know what you're talking about." She said innocently lying through her teeth.  
  
"Yea right Kaoru, when you get to school you are always tripping someone or smiling wildly after you put shaving cream on your brothers face that morning. The only times I ever see you with a face like that is when something happens between you and a boy. So who is it?" Misao asked. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Yea the shaving cream is a weekly trick." Kaoru said smiling to herself feeling relived to get rid of her angry face. She smiled wider loving the feeling of being happy once again.  
  
"Kaoru!" Misao said jumping infront of her friend who had a goofy face on. She shook her head and focused on her shorter friend.  
  
"Oh, um no one." Kaoru said trying to deny everything.  
  
"Kaoru im not moving until you tell me who it was." Misao said her face twisting into a frown. Kaoru couldn't look into her face and not spill the beans.  
  
"Misao, if I told you, you wouldn't believe me."Kaoru said.  
  
"Try me Kaoru." Misao said.  
  
"Misao it was...it was...I got to get to class I'll tell you after school, call me!" Kaoru yelled back to her as she began to run to any random class, hiding from Misao. She turned around to see were she was and saw a familiar red mop top sitting in a desk towards the back of the class room.  
  
Kaoru was relieved to find it was the wrong class she ran into and began to walk down the hall. She didn't bother to look back knowing he might see her. The bell rang as she walked down the deserted hallway on her way to the reading class she hadn't been to in a week.  
  
She slowly opened the door and stepped in sliding into her seat in the corner. "Glad you could join us Miss Kamiya." Her teacher said. She looked at him and smiled.  
  
"Yea," Kaoru said dully resting her head on her hand. The teacher just ignored her knowing she wasn't paying attention to him. The teacher began to lecture the class talking about homophones. Kaoru spent her time in this class thinking about the day before.  
  
'Kenshin...'she thought sadly. 'He almost kissed me.' She thought now enraged. 'Not true Kaoru and you know that,' her conscious began. 'He pulled away and you moved closer to him. If you felt uncomfortable you could have stopped, but you didn't.' her "jiminy cricket" told her almost poking fun at her pathetic state.  
  
She began to pout and pulled out a piece of notebook paper. She began to draw abstract art scratching the paper with harsh black lines. She started to ignore all the thought floating in her head and only focused on her art. Dark lines flowed this way and that.  
  
Sharp corners slid into squares and numb shapes. She was so wrapped in her work she didn't hear the bell ring and jumped when she was tapped on the shoulder.  
  
"Miss Kamiya, are you staying for next period?" the teacher asked jokingly. Kaoru looked into his face and shook her head.  
  
"No im leaving." Kaoru said.  
  
"Are you feeling ok?" He asked his eyes having a spark of worry.  
  
"Yea." Kaoru said slowly and confused.  
  
"Did you have a 24 hour flu yesterday or something?" He asked. Then Kaoru remembered that he had been the teacher she tricked.  
  
"Yea, I think I just caught a cold from my brother. I took some antibiotics and I feel much better." Kaoru said sniffling to add the affect. She picked up her notebook and stood up walking out of the class. She walked into the courtyard and sat on a bench waiting for the bell to ring so no one would be in the halls making noise.  
  
Slowly she began to continue her picture drawing in erratic patterns. By the time she was finished the paper looked more black than white. By just one look at her picture you could tell she was not a happy individual. Kaoru sighed her heart already feeling lighter.  
  
She would have to add this one to the wall. She would have a lot to write in her diary tonight as well. 'I want to go home.' Kaoru thought. 'Every step I need to take to feel better is at home waiting for me.' She thought.  
  
'I'll need to stop at the store for Chocolate ice cream with chocolate fudge and whip cream. I'll listen to "cold" and "lost prophets", talk to Misao, and in no time I'll feel as good as new.' She thought mentally preparing herself for the sugar rush she'll have tonight.  
  
Kaoru sat in the courtyard watching flowers fall from the trees to the ground for the remainder of the period. She stood up a few minutes to the bell and walked into the cafeteria joining all the other ditchers.  
  
She slowly sat at a table with many of her classmates and smiled in their direction. They were friends but Kaoru didn't need friends today, she needed some one deeper than that. She needed Misao.  
  
The bell rang and Kaoru jumped out of her thoughts. Misao tapped her on the top of her head and she turned around quickly. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Hey Misao, I was just thinking about you." She said quietly.  
  
"Really?" Misao asked.  
  
Kaoru nodded. "I was thinking about tonight how I will be eating ice cream and talking to you." Kaoru said.  
  
"It's that bad huh?" Misao asked now becoming sympathetic for her friend. Kaoru shook her head.  
  
"Yes and no. You'll know everything tonight, then you'll understand." Kaoru said causing Misao to look hurt.  
  
"I thought you'd tell me now." Misao said faking hurt. Kaoru laughed and began to pick at Misao's lunch lightly.  
  
"Do you want it?" Misao asked holding her paper bag out to Kaoru. She shook her head Misao shrugged and began to eat savagely almost biting Kaoru's finger. Kaoru was lost in a world of thought when the bell rang. Kaoru stood up on impulse and began walking to art. No matter what kaoru never missed art, even when she was sick.  
  
Kaoru walked into her class and sat down. She felt a tap on her shoulder and she snapped out of her trance looking around the room baffled.  
  
"How did I get here-oh sorry. Did you want something?" Kaoru asked the boy who tapped her shoulder.  
  
"I forgot a pencil do you have one I can borrow?" He asked. She pulled one from her pocket and gave it to him. He smiled in gratitude and the class began. Though Kaoru knew all the artists and art pieces learned in and out of school she still paid full attention to the teacher.  
  
"Ok class, I will be splitting you up into partners to work on a major art project. This will be 50% of your grade. Your partner will be, for the most of you, on your own artistic level." The teacher said. Kaoru wondered if she would be partnered up with Aoshi like the rest of the year. From the extent of Kaoru's knowledge Aoshi was the best in the class only second to herself.  
  
Kaoru never worked with any one else, the teacher loved Kaoru and let her do what she wanted. Kaoru's eyes roamed to the other end of the room to Aoshi. He was looking at her with his icy blue eyes that penetrated through his dark blanket of hair. Kaoru smiled and saw a dull spark in his eyes. His features were always unreadable but once you got to know Aoshi you could see his emotions in his eyes if you looked really hard.  
  
The teacher was reading off pairs and Kaoru wasn't paying any attention until she heard 'Aoshi'.  
  
"Shinomori Aoshi and Takani Megumi." The teacher said. Kaorus face fell and her world crashed and began to burn. She began to melt and seemed to drip onto the floor.  
  
'This means, I have to work with...someone else!' Kaoru's mind screamed hating the notion immediately. She pulled herself together in an instant and looking around making sure no one saw her mini melt down. Though the smile once on her face was long gone her eyes still sparkled as if she was waiting for this moment.  
  
"Kamiya Kaoru and...who's left? Ah yes! Himura Kenshin." the teacher said smiling towards Kaoru who stared blankly at her, eyes burning.  
  
Her heart sunk and a ripple of goose bumps erupted from her and she frowned. At that moment the havens opened up and rain began to pelt down upon the school. Kaoru didn't even bother to listen to the teacher explain the project; she was busy slipping slowly into a state of despair.  
  
The rest of the period went agonizingly slow and Kaoru kept glancing at the back of Kenshin dreading doing any work with him. Eventually the class ended and Kaoru ran into the hallway searching for Misao. She spotted her and ran to her though the mob of kids.  
  
Kaoru grabbed her hand and dragged her out a door. Kaoru looked at Misao stumbling and struggling to collect her books that fell. She opened her mouth to speak but Misao beat her to the punch.  
  
"Kaoru! What was that?" Misao asked perturbed. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Misao I cant take it anymore, I have to go home. I am faking sick and going to the nurse. I'll be at home ok?" Kaoru asked Misao quickly.  
  
"It has to do with him doesn't it? I hope he's not the boy I think he is." Misao said carefully. Kaoru rolled her eyes.  
  
"And who might that be?" Kaoru asked. Misao smiled.  
  
"Well either Soujiro...or...ill kill you if its..." Misao started pausing and looking uncomfortable. "Aoshi." She said quietly. Kaoru began to laugh.  
  
After a long hard laugh Kaoru answered. "Misao, Aoshi is yours I already told you I'm just his friend. And as for Soujiro...it's much worse." Kaoru said sadly. Misao sighed.  
  
"Won't you tell me?" She pleaded.  
  
"No way! I'll tell you later I can't have the risk of ANYONE knowing." Kaoru said laughing. Misao's eyes grew wide.  
  
"That bad? Ok Kaoru I'll call you right when I get home Have fun while you're out of school." Misao said walking inside. Kaoru waved and waked to the principal's office. She began to cough profusely and sneeze. Her face began to pale and gain a green hue.  
  
She opened the door walking in. She walked to the nurse. "I don't" She started then sneezed. "Feel very well. I just threw up, can I go home?" Kaoru asked. The nurse never even looked up.  
  
"What happened this time honey?" She asked. Kaoru smiled.  
  
"Well, I guess you could say it was another boy incident." Kaoru said.  
  
"Another? Who was it this time? Soujiro? Aoshi? All your other silly friends?" The nurse asked looking up to her.  
  
"No, you wouldn't believe me if I told you." Kaoru said her "cold" completely gone.  
  
"Maybe I might. Tell me honey, no one will know." the nurse said.  
  
"Ok I guess." Kaoru said. She leaned in and whispered into her ear.  
  
"Kenshin"The nurse began to scream until Kaoru cupped her hands over her mouth.  
  
"You promised not to tell! If anyone knows I'll-"Kaoru began a threat.  
  
"I know, I know. You'll hunt me down and blah, blah, blah." The nurse said handing Kaoru a pass.  
  
"Here Kaoru, This should get you out of class when ever you need to...you can come and talk to me if you want. Now get on home girl." She said. Kaoru walked out to her car and jumped in. She began to drive home blaring the song "Stupid girl" from cold. She stopped by the store and bought some ice cream. When Kaoru walked out of the store she saw some one in her car.  
  
She ran up to her car throwing the ice cream in the backseat holding her fists up. "What are you doing in my...in my..." Kaoru said her eyes widening and she froze. She saw a head full of strait full red hair. Kenshin's head popped up and he smiled looking at her.  
  
Kaoru was frozen still breathing hard. Kenshin grabbed the keys from her hand and put them in the ignition starting the car. "Stupid girl" began to play and the entire parking lot was filled with noise. Kaoru was frozen and numb.  
  
Kenshin opened the door for her and he scooted over to the passenger seat. After a pause Kaoru was hopping mad her eyes ablaze and shooting daggers at him. Kenshin sensed irritation and backed up a little.  
  
"What the fuck are you doing here? In my car!" Kaoru yelled over her music. He slowly reached to turn it off. Kaoru gave him an ugly look and he only turned it down.  
  
'Bad idea.' Kenshin thought to himself wondering how he was going to get out of this predicament.  
  
"What do you want?" Kaoru asked quietly after a pause looking exhausted and defeated at her feet. Kenshin's heart sunk.  
  
"I-I don't want anything...except to talk." Kenshin said softly, enticing her to join him in the car. She slowly slid in the car hesitantly and looked at him.  
  
"You always want to talk don't you?" She asked. He smiled and nodded. Kaoru began to drive in silence. Kenshin wanted her to open up to him when she wanted to...but she had to or he would never stop bothering her.  
  
'Why cant he leave it be for a while. I'll open up once I'm over the shock!' Kaoru thought. She pulled into her drive way and turned off the car. She sat there for a while then built enough courage to look at him. He was staring intently at her with his large purple eyes.  
  
Kaoru sighed. "Why do we have to talk now?" Kaoru asked unbuckling her seat belt and stepping out of her car. She grabbed her bag of chocolate and waked into her house Kenshin following. Kaoru allowed him to walk into her small cozy house, since she knew he'd probably wait outside if she didn't.  
  
She put the chocolate in the freezer and turned to him.  
  
"We don't have to." Kenshin said. "Just...I was...I want to." Kenshin said strangely. She looked at him pleadingly as if she could change his mind. She walked into her living room sat on the couch and watched him take a seat.  
  
"What do you want to know?" Kaoru asked.  
  
((A/N: Thanks guys...I appreciate the reviews a lot!)) 


	5. Kenshin, the skeliton in the closet

"Everything." He said slowly. Kaoru sighed and leaned her head against the wall. 'He's so difficult.' Kaoru thought closing her eyes.  
  
"Ok Kenshin. This has happened to me a few times and I'm just not comfortable that close to someone." She said looking to him.  
  
"Kaoru, you need to be more specific. Do you have an anxiety problem?" He asked curiously. Kaoru shot him a 'are you crazy' look.  
  
"What are you? An encyclopedia?" She asked shaking her head slowly. He grinned widely.  
  
"Well I try. So do you have an anxiety disorder?" Kenshin asked prodding further into her life.  
  
"I guess you could say a little. When I was a child I was." She said stopping abruptly. Kenshin motioned for her to continue. "I don't know why im telling you this. I don't know you, I shouldn't have to tell a stranger my life story." She said.  
  
"But you want to..." Kenshin said slowly. Kaoru looked over to him frowning.  
  
"No I don't." Kaoru said defensively. Kenshin just smiled at her and nodded his head. Kaoru stood up quickly and walked into the kitchen, Kenshin following her. She pulled out some potatoes and began to peel them in the sink.  
  
"What are you doing?" he asked looking at the potato peels flying wildly into the sink.  
  
"Making dinner..." She said in an irritated voice.  
  
"Kaoru, tell me." Kenshin said looking into her eyes innocently. Kaoru looked at him then turned back to her peeling. She shook her head and finished peeling the first potato. "Tell me." He said again. She peeled faster and shook her head violently.  
  
"Tell me." Kenshin said moving closer to her. She peeled faster than before and finished her second potato. He leaned down slightly and brought his head up to her ear. "Tell me." He whispered. She threw the potatoes and peeler into the sink and ran up the stairs to her room.  
  
She slammed the door before Kenshin could walk in and she lay down on her bed. 'Today is not going how I planned. Kenshin followed me home, I haven't gotten to eat my ice cream, and Misao will be home any minute.' Kaoru thought rolling onto her back hugging her pillow.  
  
Kenshin knocked on the door and Kaoru threw the pillow at it. She heard him lean against the door and slide down to sit on the ground. She stood up and grabbed a towel. She walked into the bathroom in her room and turned on the shower. She undressed and stepped in.  
  
Steam enveloped her body and hot water cascaded down her slender back. She inhaled the watery air and rubbed jasmine shampoo into her raven hair. Soap slid down her body and down the drain.  
  
Twenty minutes passed and she turned the steaming water off wringing her hair. She whipped her head back and fourth sending her long shiny hair flying around her head, water dripping from the tips of her hair. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it loosely around her.  
  
She pulled the curtain back and found herself face to face with purple eyes and red hair. "AHH!" She screamed and backed up further into the shower. She leaned against the wall her mouth slightly agape.  
  
He smiled at her and cocked his head to the side a bit. She gazed in horror at him and quickly wrapped her arms around her clutching tightly to her towel. He smiled again chuckling to himself. She closed the curtain again and released her tight grip on her towel.  
  
The curtain began to move back and Kaoru frowned grabbing the curtain and pulling it closed again. There was a battle of strength for a few minutes until the strain on the curtain pulled the whole thing down. While Kenshin was wrapped up in trying to fix the curtain kaoru jumped from the shower and into her room closing the door to the bathroom.  
  
She ran into her closet and closed the door just as kenshin emerged from the bathroom. She threw on a pair of comfortable pajamas and timidly opened the door. Kenshin was standing on the other side of the room watching the door intently.  
  
"Are you going to tell me?" he asked huskily sending shivers up Kaoru's spine. She shook her head stubbornly and Kenshin took a few steps closer to her. She shook her head again and he continued to walk closer to her slowly.  
  
She looked at him stubbornly and closed the closet door. He continued to walk closer to her and she took a small step forward as well. They reached each other in the middle of her room staring intently at each other. Their faces were inches away from each other but Kaoru didn't move.  
  
"Tell me." Kenshin demanded quietly. Kaoru opened her mouth to deny when Kenshin put his finger on her mouth to silence her. Surprisingly she didn't say a word as Kenshin gradually leaned closer to her tilting his head. Kaoru was caught off guard and instinctively closed her eyes.  
  
Memories of long ago soon flooded her mind and her blue orbs snapped open to find Kenshin to close for comfort. She pushed him back and he landed on her bed shocked. "Kaoru...?" Kenshin quietly said befuddled. She walked quickly out of her room and back into her living room pacing quickly.  
  
Kenshin slowly walked down the stairs after Kaoru and watched her pace from on the stairs. He sat down and watched her disappointed. She looked at him then her cheeks flushed pink and she turned around quickly.  
  
"Kaoru." Kenshin said slowly. She stood still facing the wall opposite of him, her hands behind her back. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. She sighed closed her eyes and turned to face him.  
  
"When I was a child my mother beat me...my father was a drunk and was always at the bar, that's when my mother would beat me then act innocent when my father came home and passed out. Years later my Father caught her in the act and tried to stop her." Kaoru said her eyes still closed tears threatening to fall.  
  
"She turned out to be stronger than him and out of self-defense he shot her. She was checked into a mental institute and I was left with my father. With his wife in the institute and an emotionally scared child at home he gave up drinking to try and give me a normal life. I was never the same, I stayed up at night hoping she wouldn't get loose and try to hurt me again." She said looking him in the eyes a single tear rolling down her cheek.  
  
"I was thrown into middle school with so many people surrounding me. I felt trapped in a world of hate and people who could possibly hurt me like my mother did. I was checked into therapy and by high school I became a delinquent, searching for a route out. My father signed me up for art class hoping it would release my mental frustration." She said her eyes tearing up but she blinked away the tears.  
  
"I found myself actually going to art class and learned to love it. I had a natural talent for drawing and freed my disturbance through it. However I still could not get out of my funk and continued to skip class and spray paint walls. As you can assume I became good friends with the principal and I know my way to detention even if my eyes were closed. I could never trust people like a normal kid and it took me three years to fully put my trust in Misao." She said looking up to the ceiling.  
  
"What happened this morning and a few minutes ago has happened several times before with several different guys. It seems the more you don't want attention, the more you get it. I just cant trust people, I wont let myself put my belief in people who could so easily break my heart and put me through so much pain." She said slowly beginning to regain her composure.  
  
Kenshin stood up and walked slowly towards her his eyes soft and kind. "Kaoru, I didn't know." He said quietly taking a step closer to her. She wrapped her arms around herself and shuttered. Kenshin stepped closer to her and she looked up to see him centimeters away from her. A small sparkle of fear was present in her otherwise cold eyes.  
  
"Kenshin." She said quietly so only he could hear her. He brought a hand up to her face cupping her cheek. She looked to the ground shivers rippling over her body. "Kaoru, I won't hurt you," he said slowly running his hand down her cheek to her chin. She grabbed his hand and held it in both of her hands.  
  
"Kenshin, I can't believe you..." She said quietly looking into his eyes. He was hurt but didn't show it.  
  
"But Kaoru." He said trying to convince her otherwise. She shook her head and smiled up to him.  
  
"Kenshin don't do this to me." She said her mind made up. Then she heard a knock on the door and stepped around him. His hands followed her motion and he turned watching her, his hand falling to his side. She looked out the window and her eyes widened. She quickly turned to Kenshin.  
  
"Oh man, Kenshin it's Misao, school is out." She said hurriedly when the doorbell began to ring. She opened the door quickly and smiled at Misao. "Misao, there's something I need to take care of before you come in, just chill there for a few minutes ok?" she asked closing the door without a response. She turned to Kenshin and walked quickly to him.  
  
"Kenshin, I want you to run up the stairs take a right then up the stairs on your left. You'll see four rooms, go to the second on the right, the middle window has a fire escape, go down those stairs and make sure you cant be seen through any of the windows." Kaoru said quickly pushing him towards the stairs. He turned to her and frowned.  
  
"Kenshin! Go..." She said pushing him up the stairs and waited until he was out of sight. She walked back to the door and opened it inviting Misao in.  
  
"Kaoru? What were you doing?" She asked disturbed by Kaorus strange behavior.  
  
"Oh, um I had to make sure the ice cream wasn't melted and it wasn't..." She said smiling uncomfortably. Misao sensed the odd aura emitting form Kaoru and raised an eyebrow questioningly. "Don't worry about it, can we just drop the subject?" She asked walking into the kitchen and pulling out the ice cream. She grabbed the whipped cream and fudge and spoons and walked up the stairs slowly to her room.  
  
"Kaoru why are you walking so slowly?" Misao asked bouncing ahead of her. Kaoru looked worried at Misao but followed her regardless. Kaoru and Misao walked into her room and Kaoru turned on 'lost prophets' and sat down. She began to eat her ice cream smiling wildly and forgetting everything that happened with Kenshin. She was lost in the world of a sugar high.  
  
"Kaoru? Kaoru are you listening to me?" Misao said trying to penetrate Kaoru's cloudy mind.  
  
"Huh? Sorry what did you say?" Kaoru asked still in a slight daze.  
  
"Kaoru I asked if you would tell me who it is this time?" Misao asked eagerly.  
  
"Oh...that, well. It was...it was," Kaoru started. Misao glared at her and stood up putting her ice cream down.  
  
"Kaoru Kamiya tell me this instant!" She yelled. Kaoru was startled and sat up strait.  
  
"Ok! It was Kenshin Himura!" Kaoru blurted out loudly. Then she slapped her hands to her mouth gasping. "Oh man I was going to prolong your suffering to at least next week." Kaoru said quietly. Misao's mouth fell to the floor and she sat down with a thud staring with large shocked eyes at Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru sweat dropped rubbing the back of her neck a small smile on her lips. "Hi-Hi-Himura!" Misao screamed practically telling the whole neighborhood. Kaoru nodded as if it was a close friend. "Kaoru you are going to tell me everything...." Misao said in shock still unable to get over it.  
  
"Misao..." Kaoru whined then shut up from a sharp glare from Misao. "Ok. You know how I spray painted the wall?" kaoru asked getting a nod from Misao. "Well the principal made me clean it off and since kenshin, the office assistant for that hour, wasn't doing anything the principal had him help me." Kaoru said.  
  
"That's it!" Misao said disappointed. "No let me finish," Kaoru said. "And I wanted to go home so I politely offered him to come with, I didn't expect HIM to say yes. So I faked sick and he was the one who was going to drive me home. I would have gotten you out of class but that's suspicious. So we drove to a park some where and there was a pretty mansion across the way, I drew it and he wanted to comment on my art." She said.  
  
"So I ran and he directed me to the mansion which turned out to be his home. Then I got lost and he tried to find me and I fell asleep on a couch in some room and he fell asleep in the same room and the next morning I wanted to go to school and he...tried to...hug me...I flipped out...Sano came broke the moment and, that's about it." Kaoru said smiling.  
  
"I know that's not it...stop paraphrasing and give me the real story. Start from Kenshin tiring to get close to you." Misao said scooting closer to Kaoru excited. Kaoru sighed knowing she couldn't win.  
  
"He, tried to kiss me..." Kaoru said with a sigh.  
  
"And?" Misao said.  
  
"And...he pulled away at the last minute." Kaoru said looking at Misao.  
  
"And...?" Misao said smiling wildly.  
  
"And I moved forward about to kiss him." Kaoru said quietly.  
  
"And?" Misao said knowing Kaoru still had more to tell.  
  
"Man Misao you really know when im not telling the whole truth. And Then Sano knocked on the door I flipped out ran up to his room, He tried to figure me out and basically I ran to school." Kaoru said smiling.  
  
"...Wow!" Misao said in a hushed voice. Kaoru shook her head at Misao smiling.  
  
"What?" She asked.  
  
"Your life is so exciting..." Misao said in a wishful voice. Kaoru laughed.  
  
"I was right before, the more you don't want attention, the more you get it." Kaoru said quietly to herself. Misao smiled to her and looked her over kaoru raised an eyebrow and frowned knowing that face.  
  
"Kaoru, I know you better than you know yourself. You like him..."Misao said slowly. Kaoru shook her head.  
  
"That's silly, no I don't." Kaoru said not believing her. Kaoru heard a noise coming from her closet and she stood up walking toward it. She opened the door slowly looking in. Her eyes grew wide with astonishment and she closed the closet quickly.  
  
"What's wrong Kaoru?" Misao asked. Kaoru shook her head.  
  
"Um nothing but I need to change my shirt I think I got chocolate on it." Kaoru said quickly walking into her closet. She turned around and found herself staring at Kenshin sitting on the floor smiling.  
  
"Kenshin what are you doing still in my house!?" Kaoru asked quietly. Kenshin smiled again looking at her.  
  
"Um, I heard you two coming up stairs and I forgot were to go so I hid in your room." Kenshin said.  
  
"Shhh... Keep it down Misao is out there." kaoru said Kenshin nodded.  
  
"I know...I mean..." He said rubbing the back of his neck.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru said then she slapped her hands over her mouth. "Kenshin, you were listening!" She said in a hurried hushed voice. He nodded.  
  
"And you did a great job paraphrasing the whole "Incident"." Kenshin said causing Kaoru to go red in the face. She frowned.  
  
"Shut up Kenshin." Kaoru spat looking around at the clothes in her closet.  
  
"What are you looking at?" Kenshin asked turning around. Kaoru walked behind him and pulled out a small red tank top with black flames running up the side.  
  
Kaoru slowly set the shirt down on the ground. She crossed her arms and pulled her shirt over her head and threw it on the ground. Kenshin's eyes grew wide as he stared at her.  
  
"Kaoru, not here, or now." Kenshin said slowly, joking. Kaoru frowned looking at him.  
  
"Awe, why not?" Kaoru asked poking his nose and smiling devilishly. His eyes practically popped out of their sockets and he backed up a little, afraid of what she would do. She stood up and looked at him.  
  
"I was joking." She said. He stared at her, then his gaze lowered slightly to her breasts clad in a lacy white bra. She frowned at him. "My face is up here" Kaoru said pointing to her face and turning on her heal. She pulled the tank top over her head and turned to him.  
  
"I'll distract Misao and get her down stairs, that's when you are going to run upstairs and out the window down the fire escape and home! You can take my car anything to get you out of my house." Kaoru said walking out of the closet.  
  
"Sorry Misao I um tripped in the closet and I couldn't find a shirt." Kaoru said making an excuse. Misao nodded and continued to shovel ice cream in her mouth. Kaoru laughed.  
  
"Misao, I want a glass of water will you come with me DOWN STAIRS!" Kaoru asked emphasizing the last part of her statement. Misao nodded and they left the room. Kenshin crawled out of the closet and out her door mumbling about how she doesn't deserve his kindness.  
  
Then he had a brilliant idea. 'Kaoru would look very weird if she come back into the room and went into her closet. I should stay and listen to her.' Kenshin thought crawling quickly back into her room. He went into her closet and closed the door.  
  
Kaoru came back up stomping her feet so Kenshin knew she was coming but in the process getting many strange looks from Misao. She smiled and sat down on her bed happy Kenshin was out of the room.  
  
"Kaoru you've been acting strange." Misao said.  
  
"Oh, well im on a new medicine." Kaoru said quickly covering everything up. Misao was happy with the answer and began to eat her ice cream quickly again.  
  
"So Kaoru, what are you going to do about Himura?" Misao asked slyly. Kaoru looked at the ceiling shaking her head.  
  
"I don't know. Probably ignore him. You know I can't trust him..."Kaoru said her words melting in the air. Misao nodded.  
  
"Are you sure? He could be the first." Misao said looking at Kaorus face.  
  
"Misao..." Kaoru said looking at her. "Put yourself in my shoes." She said turning to her water and taking a sip. Misao looked into space and envisioned herself in Kaorus life.  
  
"I guess your right." Misao said. "I guess you can't trust him." Misao said Kaoru had a victory smile on her face. "But it could be your first step in recovery!" Misao said pleadingly. Kaorus face fell.  
  
"So Misao how are things going with Aoshi?" She asked a smirk gracing her features. Misao's face fell into a dream like state and she turned to putty.  
  
A/N: Ok here's the deal im going to camp on Sunday for a week then the next week im going on vacation so I wont be updating till at least 2 weeks from now. Thank you all of my reviewers I don't think I've ever had 60 reviews for 5 chapters. I cant remember if any of you had questions and if you have any long extended questions I would appreciate it if you would e-mail me so I can answer you right away, my email is 


	6. balcony

'That'll keep her busy for a little while.' Kaoru thought to herself. She sat there eating her ice cream at a slow steady pace. She was beginning to feel the sugar high coming on form the immense chocolate she was eating.

Kaoru was busy thinking about everything that has happened not listening to the love stained slush flowing form Misao's mouth. She was talking non-stop about Aoshi, but Kaoru just ignored her.

In the closet Kenshin was looking at Aoshi in a whole new light. 'Who would have though Misao had such a huge crush on him...who could love an ice block like him?' Kenshin thought to himself as he listened to her describe him. Slowly Misao's voice began to blend into the wall, as if it wasn't there at all and Kenshin began to think about the previous events.

Kenshin's mind wandered to Kaoru, sitting just outside the door. He knew she was there and he could tell she wasn't listening by the dull noises she made, telling Misao to continue. He thought of how her raven locks would fall into her deep ocean blue eyes when she was working hard. And how her strong arms would sweep across the paper when she was painting so transfixed on her work. How the world around her seemed to disappear when she was enthralled in her art.

He soon discovered he was fantasizing about her. He shook his head and blushed faintly. He tried to focus on Misao's dull lingering voice but couldn't stop thinking about the other girl just outside the door. He wanted her, but she was out of his reach, just barely out of his reach.

Kenshin sighed and leaned against the door. He had a feeling this was going to be a long painful night. Kaoru soon tried to stop Misao's descriptions of Aoshi leaking form her mouth.

"Misao, do you ever think of anything else?" Kaoru asked. Misaos head snapped toward Kaoru.

"Yes!" She said defensively.

"What...?" Kaoru asked not believing a word she said.

"Umm..." Misao fumbled thinking hard. "Umm...food!" Misao said happily shoving more ice cream into her mouth smiling a chocolate smile. Kaoru shook her head.

"Of course." Kaoru said dully.

"Would you rather me grill you about Kenshin again?" Misao asked mischievously. Kaoru shook her head violently.

"NO! No." She said quickly. Misao smiled.

"Ok, then I will...I mean if you're so eager to spill your heart out to me." Misao said. Kaoru stared at her hard but her eyes were soft. She felt more comfortable when she knew Kenshin was not in the closet listening.

"I knew there was more." She said excitedly.

'How does Misao always know when i'm not telling the whole truth.' Kaoru thought.

"Alright Kaoru, tell me the truth." Misao said excitedly jumping up and down.

"Well, the only thing I left out in my story was, actually, not that important." Kaoru said trying to make it sound inconsequential.

"Tell me anyway!" Misao said begging her.

"Well, remember when I said I got lost in his house and I fell asleep in a room and he found me. But I was asleep and he fell asleep in the same room?" Kaoru asked. Misao nodded breathlessly.

"Well, what happen wasn't he sleep in the same room it was more like the same couch. And I kinda woke up to a face full of red hair." Kaoru said shyly her face reddening a little.

"You SLEPT with him!" Misao screamed. Kaoru slapped her hand over Misao's mouth and looked around cautiously.

"Don't tell the whole damn neighborhood!" She said harshly. "And no I didn't sleep with him, well technically I did, but nothing happened." Kaoru said defending herself. Misao smiled wildly.

"But you wanted to..." She said quietly. Kaoru scowled and glared knives at her.

"To hell with that! I did not want to, I don't want to, and I never will want to!" Kaoru shouted enraged. Misao smiled nodding.

"Right, ok." She said sarcastically. Kaoru crossed her legs and folded her arms facing away from Misao.

"Kaoru, don't be like this. Don't deny it, I know you wanted to be with him...and you still do." Misao said. Kaorus face turned red form anger.

"Are you blushing?" Misao asked. Kaoru stood up and looked at her fire escaping form her mouth.

"NO MISAO! I AM NOT BLUSHING!" She shouted loudly and forcefully. Misao shrunk and smiled gracelessly.

"Ok I believe you." She said quietly. In the closet Kenshins ears perked up when he heard what kaoru was saying. 'Man Misao give her a break.' Kenshin thought. He was pretty happy he had decided to stay in the closet this was getting good.

"No you don't." Kaoru said quietly to herself as she sat back down sticking her spoon in the ice cream violently. Misao smiled.

"Your right, I don't." She said. Kaoru rolled her eyes.

"Believe me, I would never want to be with such a preppy, pussy, wanna be, jerk, ass hole." Kaoru said angrily thinking of any insults she could and spiting them out.

"Wow, maybe I don't know you as well as I think I do." Misao said shocked at her friends' outburst. In the closet Kenshin felt a strong pain deep in his chest, he put his hand over his heart and blinked a few times shocked. His eyes grew sad and dreary, but in the blink of an eye they had turned frosty and bitter.

Kaoru ate the last spoon full of ice cream and tossed it in the trash. "You feeling batter Kaoru?" Misao asked. Kaoru looked sadly into her lap but smiled a melancholy grin and looked to Misao.

"Yea im feeling much better, thanks." Kaoru said happily, though it was fake Misao bought it. She had been to hyped up on sugar to realize anything was amiss.

Misao looked at the clock and her eye widened in shock. "Wow its late, I better get going. I cant believe its already midnight." Misao said to Kaoru standing up.

"I need to go home, moms is going to be pissed." Misao said helping Kaoru up. Kaoru nodded walking with Misao out the door and down stairs. She led her to the door and smiled watching her get into her car and drive away. She noticed that her car was still in the driveway so Kenshin must have walked home.

At that point she wondered how he was doing, and if he got home all right. She closed the door and leaned on it crossing her arms and comforting herself. 'Dad'll be home in a few days, he'll make things better.' Kaoru thought happily.

She slowly walked into the kitchen still holding herself thinking hard. 'Did I have to say all that? Of course you did Kaoru, if you didn't Misao would never leave you alone about him. Yes, but... I didn't... mean it.' Kaoru thought slowly realizing she was right, she really didn't mean anything that came out of her mouth.

"I didn't mean it." She said silently to herself beginning to smile slowly. "I really didn't." She said just as quiet walking up the stairs. She stepped into the bathroom and splashed her face. She turned on the shower not getting in. She just wanted to feel the steam on her skin and hear the sounds of water hitting the shower floor.

She sighed happily and sat in there for a while. After she felt like she had been sitting in a sauna for half an hour she stepped from the shower, wet from steam. She whipped her face with a small towel and stepped into her room. Her eyes opened wide and she dropped her towel from what she saw.

"I wouldn't happen to be so lucky that you left and came back would I?" She asked hopefully after a pause.

"Your not that lucky." Said Kenshin sitting on her bed staring at her. She gulped feeling a long heated fight coming on.

"Kenshin..." She began trying to explain. He held his hand up silencing her.

"Kaoru, Did you mean it?" He asked slowly his voice full of disappointment.

"I-" Kaoru began.

"Don't lie to me, don't lie to yourself." Kenshin said slowly. After a pause she answered.

"Kenshin, I didn't mean it, I didn't mean any of it." Kaoru said quickly. Kenshins eyes brightened just a little then shrunk back into the darkness.

"Kaoru I cant believe you." Kenshin said mimicking the voice Kaoru had used just hours before.

"But Kenshin." Kaoru said then she slapped her hands to her mouth realizing this had all happened before.

"Don't do this to me Kaoru." Kenshin said quietly staring her down.

"Kenshin im not." She said taking a step closer to him.

"Does this mean you trust me?" Kenshin asked hope accidentally spilling through the barrier in his voice. She opened her mouth about to say something but shut it quickly.

"I don't know if I can, Kenshin you have to understand I don't think I could take any more pain." She said slowly forgetting about her rough image she always put up and showed Kenshin a little of her vulnerable side.

"I told you Kaoru, I wont hurt you." He said standing up.

"But how do you know?" She questioned desperately looking for answers deep in his eyes.

"Can't you just trust some one for once in your life!" Kenshin said loudly becoming agitated.

"Kenshin I told you what I've been through, don't you think it would be a little hard if that happened to you?" She asked her voice harsh.

"Yes Kaoru, but if you would open up once and a while you might be able to get over your problem." Kenshin said shoving it back in her face.

"Alright shrink, you want to play this game? If you didn't always have your head in the clouds you may be able to realize when some one doesn't want you around!" Kaoru shouted.

"Oh, ok, sure you didn't want me around in the beginning but you couldn't live with out me now!" Kenshin yelled.

"To hell I cant! Your just a pompous jerk who thinks he can get any girl!" Kaoru shrieked furiously.

"No, I am just friendly. You are the jerk who cant open up to any one just because you refuse to help yourself." He bellowed.

"Friendly! Ha! How about forward! You never left me alone, you slept with me on the couch for crying out loud!" She roared referring to the night she slept in his house.

"Actually I was being kind enough not to pick you up and wake you up! I sat down as far away as possible and tried to stay awake, however I need to sleep and in my sleep I moved towards you! Its not like I purposefully moved next to you!" He hollered.

"You should have woken me, I wouldn't have cared!" She screeched frustration clouding her mind.

"You know what your problem is Kaoru?" Kenshin asked.

"What!" Kaoru yelled interested in his answer.

"You refuse to get help. Over the years you didn't want to open up to anyone because that might be the cure to this non-trusting Kaoru. Because you kept to yourself so much, afraid that you may like trusting people, you were used to it and never learned to open up. And since you acted all rough and tough it brought you the attention you were seeking. You're not afraid to get hurt, you're over that, and you just don't want the attention to leave. And when it comes to men, its not that you're afraid of pain, or that you just can't commit, its that your afraid to love." Kenshin spat at her talking normally.

Kaoru was revolted. "I am not an attention seeking snob with low self esteem. I am just scared some one may do the same thing to me my mother did." Kaoru said slowly her head down.

"Kaoru, that's bull shit and you know it. I can tell by your structure that you are not weak, mentally or physically. Your only weakness that I can see is your past, you need to get over it. And the best way would be to accept it and live your life." Kenshin said taking another step closer to her. Kaoru looked up just enough that she could see him but her hair was shielding her eyes from his sight.

A tear rolled down her cheek and silently fell to the floor. "Your wrong Kenshin." She said almost to quietly for him to hear. She ran form the room and up the stairs. She ended up sitting her legs between the balcony railings, crying softly. Kenshin waited till he could no longer hear her footsteps and light sobs until he finally emerged from her room.

He slowly walked up the stairs he had heard her use and searched every room for her. He glanced into one and began to walk down the hallway. Then he walked back to it looking again. He saw her small form resting on the balcony, which was more like a piece of steel with railings. He saw her back raise up and down steadily and heard her soft quiet weeping.

'He is right; I just don't want to accept it. Maybe I can trust people. I can defend myself if anyone attacks me, and I am strong willed. But I just cant help but feel vulnerable when I put my trust into someone.' She thought her mind full of questions. He walked up behind her his footsteps silent, and her mind was too busy to even listen.

He sat down next to her dangling his feet of the edge as well. He looked over to her his violently cold eyes calming into a more gentle softness. She hadn't even realized any one sat next to her. She was still thinking hard, tears leisurely yet progressively flowing form her red eyes.

He gently tapped her on the shoulder making her aware of his presence. Her eyes looked to him but snapped back forward. "Kenshin." She said as if to greet him. She straitened her curved back and whipped away her tears. Though they continued to stream, she still wiped them away.

"I just came up here to say good bye." Kenshin said slowly to her. She looked surprised at him.

"You're leaving? For good?" She asked trying to keep the surprise and disappoint from her voice.

"You need space. And you know were to find me." Kenshin said standing up and looking down to her. She looked up to him.


	7. what are you doing here?

Kaoru sat still not wanting to move. She wanted to cry and rejoice at the same time. Kenshin walked out of her house and back to his home. Kaoru sat there for a long time pondering on what had happen and what should happen.

'I know Kenshin is right, Kenshin knows kenshin is right, hell even Misao knows kenshin is right.' Kaoru thought her head resting on the rail. She was happy he was gone, because she no longer had to fight with him. But she had wanted him to stay.

She wanted all this fighting to be gone. She didn't want every one to hate her because they thought she was just an attention seeker. Every one knows them, but Kaoru never thought she was one.

"The first step in recovery is admitting the problem." Kaoru said to herself.

"I have a problem...I don't trust people and seek the attention I get from acting like a bad ass." Kaoru said to herself quietly.

"I don't trust people and seek the attention I get from acting like a bad ass." Kaoru said a little louder. She continued to repeat that sentence until she was practically screaming into the vast farmland surrounding her house.

She could hear her voice echo and she smiled. "Wow." She said awestricken. "That really did feel good." She said in amazement. She stood up and walked back into her house closing the door shut behind her. The smile that tugged at her lips remained as she walked down the hallway and stairs and towards the front door.

She grabbed a coat and her keys then glanced at the clock. Her smile dropped to a frown and she dropped her coat throwing her keys on the table. She picked up the digital clock and threw it to the ground.

It read 4:00 AM. "Its too late to go now. I'll just have to do it at school. He better be there!" Kaoru said to herself running up to her room and laying her head on the pillow. Once her head made contact with the soft squishy pillow she was asleep.

"BEEP, BEEP, BEEP!" Kaorus alarm sang just a few hours later. She put her pillow over her head and clicked the snooze button. A few seconds later she looked at the clock and realized that was the fifth time she had done that.

The clock read 7:45. She jumped out of her bead wrestled into jeans and a black tank top. She brushed her hair and teeth and flew out the door grabbing her keys. She jumped in her car and sped down the road. She slowed to almost a stop when she saw a co-p car. She smiled and winked at him She flew to her school and ran inside her backpack full of books.

She threw her locker open shoved her backpack in it and turned quickly searching the halls for her favorite mop top. She saw a head of red hair and ran towards it. Just as she held her hands out and pushed threw the crowed she saw that it wasn't Kenshin.

Her smile pulled down to a frown and she walked away. She searched the halls for him once again but to no avail. The bell had rung and she was alone in the halls. She walked to the principal's office and was disappointed to see it was not Kenshins period to sit bored in the office. She walked strait to the principal and opened his door harshly.

"Kaoru?" The principal asked confused to why she was here on her will.

"Were is Kenshin Himura?" Kaoru asked quickly and to the point.

"Why do you need to know?" He asked.

"I need to tell him something very important." Kaoru said urgently.

"What do you need to tell him?" The principal asked slowly beating around the bush.

"If you can't tell me just say that. You're wasting my time." Kaoru said looking at the clock and finding that wandering through the halls ate half the period.

"Then im sorry but im wasting your time." The principal said watching her rush out of the room. She ran to the parking lot and drove to a nearby café. She quickly ordered some coffee and tried not to snap at the other costumers.

"What's wrong honey?" The woman behind the counter asked giving her coffee to go. The woman was large in size with small kind eyes. She had a broken heart tattooed on her forearm and thick red lipstick plastered on her lips. Gaudy blue eye shadow contrasting against her pink outfit spread across her eyelids.

"I stayed up all night figuring out the I love this man, but I need to waist half an hour before I can try to see him again." She said slowly sipping her coffee.

"That's deep. At least you know you love him." The woman said hurt in her eyes. "How old are ya child?" She asked.

"18." Kaoru said not looking at the woman.

"You look like you've lived a lot of life in a few years." She said calmly. Kaoru just nodded drinking her coffee and slamming the large cup down for some more. The woman refilled it and Kaoru drank till she couldn't any more. Soon she stood up left the money on the counter nodded to the woman and walked out of the store.

She ran to her car and drove to the school searching the outside word for her red head. She ran inside happy she caught the passing period and looked high and low for him. Finally she heard his voice. Her ears perked up listening intently for it. She heard it again. It was him, it was Kenshin!

She turned around quickly and saw him a few feet away talking to another girl and laughing. She was angry but who could blame him. She walked closer suddenly a rush of butterflies the size of mini-vans flooded into her belly threatening to make her sick.

He tried to calm herself but the more she thought about him the more butterflies flew into her tummy. She shook her head ridding of bad thoughts and took another step towards the couple. As she got closer kenshin got closer to the girl. Suddenly as Kaoru opened her mouth Kenshin leaned in a kissed the girl on the lips quickly then looked around for teachers.

Kaorus world crashed beneath her and all she knew was to run. She just ran. Her breath labored her forehead wet and her legs stinging she had reached her car parked far from the door. She jumped in pulled out her keys and tears threatened to fall. Kenshin kissing her kept replaying in her head over and over but she didn't want to cry anymore. She didn't want to cry for him.

She drove her foot slammed on the gas unrelenting. She sped through a clearing at a red light and all the way home. She drove like a maniac swerving back and fourth as the tears fell from her reddening face.

She jumped from the car not bothering with the door and unlocked the door. After what seemed like eternity she got in her house and left a trail of tearstains on the carpet up to her room were her pillow was thoroughly soaked within minutes.

She cried until her tear ducts were dry as a bone and then some. She just couldn't cry any more. Either there was no more extra water for her to cry out or her eyes just wouldn't do it. She ran down stairs and drank a few glasses of water savagely. After practically inhaling her water she sat at the table moping about.

She couldn't cry, she couldn't trust, and everything Kenshin had told her was bullshit. "You can trust me Kaoru he says, why can't you trust me he says. I'll tell ya why buster! I put my trust in the wrong people and they turn around and beat me! Though I have no bruises you beat me Kenshin!" Kaoru screamed angrily.

She bitterly glared at an imaginary Kenshin and stood up walking into the dojo in her back yard. She slipped on a training gi and pulled down a light wooden bokken from the wall.

She slammed it down on the ground and cringed when she heard a small crack. She swung the wooden stick in the air as hard as she could. She spun around attacking the air ferociously. It was getting late, Kaoru noticed it was dark outside already.

"What did the atmosphere do to you?" Came a voice from the doorway. Kaorus shoulders rose and fell steadily as she was breathing hard. The sweat on her forehead, upper lip, and neck began to slip from her skin and slid down her face. She dropped her bokken and smiled her eyes sparkling. She ran towards him the air-cooling her down. Her hair, which had been stuck to her face, flew back as she ran towards the man in the doorway.

"DAD!" Kaoru yelled excited that her father had come home from business. Her father was a tall man with dark hair and blindingly green eyes. He always seemed to have a 5 'o' clock shadow and was wearing a button down complex shirt. Khaki pants and dark shoes donned his legs and feet. His arms were spread wide as he embraced his daughter.

He picked her up slightly and spun in a circle. She laughed lightly, music to his ears. "I missed you my darling." He said to her gently releasing her. She jumped up.

"I missed you to dad. How was the job?" She asked forgetting about kenshin.

"I'll tell you about that as soon as you tell me what has been happening and why you look like you were crying." Her dad said.

"I was just training for a while." Kaoru said.

"And crying." He said laughing.

"How do parents always know?" kaoru mumbled out as her father began to walk back into the house.

"It's a sixth sense. Get washed up and come tell Me." her father said as kaoru set the bokken on the wall and took off her gi running to the bathroom. She washed up quickly then dressed. She ran into the kitchen and saw her father sitting peacefully at the counter sipping coffee.

Kaoru was excited to tell her father everything that happened because one of two things could happen. 1) Her father could give her good advice and a way to help her get over Kenshin, or 2) he could kick Kenshin's ass and Kaoru wouldn't have to worry about him.

"So tell me about this boy." her father said slowly.

"How do you know?" Kaoru asked her voice high and squeaky. Some times her father could be very scary.

"I just do. So what did he do to make you so angry?" her father asked curiously.

"Well, first it was like every other boy, he tried to kiss me. Then he followed me home, and listened to my conversation hiding in my closet. I basically said I hated him but realized... I was lying. I didn't know he was in the closet and begged for forgiveness when he asked me if I hated him.

"He asked me if I could trust him and we got in a big argument were he told me im just a attention seeking snob. I ran to the balcony crying and realized, at 4:00 AM that...that I... love him. This morning I went to school and searched for him. But when I found him, he was kissing another girl. After he had told me a dozen times that I could trust him." Kaoru said slowly.

A flare of anger and sadness filled her eyes. Her father nodded occasionally waiting for her to finish her story before speaking. "Well." He said shocked. "You've certainly been busy." Kaoru giggled, excited that her father had come home.

"But you don't seem as upset as you were. What changed your mind?" He asked.

"You don't understand. Im still upset. In fact just talking about it makes me want to go over there and give him a piece of my mind!" Kaoru shouted. Her dad eyed her suspiciously then smiled staring at her and waiting for her to calm don't a bit.

"Why don't you?" He asked after a pause. Kaoru was enraged and was breathing hard when he said that. She just looked at him her rage dissipating and her mind reeling. Confusion washed over her face like high tide and she stared at him her mouth agape.

"Because... because. I don't know, I never thought about that." Kaoru said baffled. Her father smiled.

"Some times you need to stop thinking your way and try thinking his way." Her father said, the voice of experience. Kaoru looked thoughtful then jumped up and pushed in her chair. She ran to her father kissed him and hugged him tightly then ran form the house grabbing a coat and shouting good-bye quickly.

She threw on the coat after she felt a ripple of shivers roll up her arms when the chilled night air splashed against her soft skin. Moonlight spilled onto her pale complexion making her face look ghostly.

She hoped in her car not bothering to open the door and buckled up. She pulled out of her driveway thinking about what her father said.

'Try thinking like him. Try thinking like him. Try thinking like him...what's that supposed to mean? I guess it means I need to try thinking how Kenshin thinks. Then I can get inside his head and clear mine.' She thought.

'Well I need to get to get angry. I cant just waltz into Kenshin's house happy and jumpy because my dad is home.' She thought her eyebrows dipping down and a frown pulling at the corners of her mouth.

She pictured Kenshin kissing that other girl and the spark of anger that had died down exploded into a raging fire. She began to feel the angry frenzy buzzing in her blood stream. Hate was pumping in her blood imbedding itself into her system.

She gripped the steering wheel tightly her knuckles turning white. Her eyes flared red and she tried to calm herself down again. "Man. When I get mad, I get MAD!" Kaoru said watching the speedometer fall back to its rightful place. She quickly searched her mirrors and looked around making sure the feds didn't see her hundred-mile fiasco.

She found herself getting bored with the drive there and she turned on the music on a rock station. She bobbed her head up and down feeling her foot press a little harder on the gas petal. She wanted to see his shocked face when she told him she saw his cheating ass.

Even though technically they aren't going out, but it was still cheating. You don't go trying to kiss someone and make her trust you then turn around and kiss some hoochie. Kaoru took a deep breath thinking of what to say when he opens the door and says hello with that small welcoming smile.

She found herself thinking about him then replayed what she had seen that morning. She thought about the whole day, why she was so tired, it was because of that jerk.

Everything was Kenshins fault. She was doing fine when she met him, she had just finished a masterpiece, and wasn't having any guy trouble. Her friends were happy and Misao was getting further with Aoshi, she was actually talking to him.

Then she had to scrub the wall of with him. His charisma was probably what drew her to him then she had to invite him in her ditching and everything took a turn for the worse.

Kaoru looked in the mirror and found her red puffy face had deflated and returned to its normal state. Except for fatigue dripping down her face she looked standard. She smiled thankful that the tear stains and red bloating had left her face. She didn't want Kenshin to know she had been crying over him. She made a sharp right turn and pulled up to his house. She sat in her car staring at the towering mansion standing tall above her head. She sat still in her car for a good five minutes hoping everything would just go away.

It didn't.

Kaoru stood up and walked up the large steps and towards the door. She walked timidly up to it and forced herself to look at his image kissing the strange girls one more time to build up confidence. She ached and for the first time in her ride here she just wanted to go home and curl up in her bed listening to her dads trip.

She brought her hand up to the door clenched in a fist and rapped on the door hearing a dull thud. She wasn't sure if he could even hear it. When a few minutes went by and no one came to the door she pushed the doorbell and listened to the sweet tune drift through the air.

The large door swung open and a fiery welcoming smile met her uneasy one. Blue eyes met purple and Kaoru snapped out of her nervousness at the sight of him. Just by looking at the betraying man Kaoru's rage grew to new heights. Her fists unnoticeably balled into fists and her eyes flashed a dangerous light blue.

Her kind deep ocean blue eyes grew slightly lighter glaring at his kind purple eyes. He realized who was standing infront of him and his slackened posture straitened. He looked into her eyes, melting inside from the intense hate vibe he was receiving.

"Kaoru, how are you would you like to come in?" Kenshin asked holding a hand out to his house. Kaoru smiled disappointed at him shaking her head.

"You don't know why im here do you?" Kaoru asked keeping her shaking voice rough and stern.

"Because you realized you love me and cant live with out me." Kenshin said smiling and laughing lightly. Kaoru glared seriously.

'He's making a joke at a time like this!' she thought.


	8. tear stained Sakura

((A/N: Hey guys, I'd like to thank one very dedicated fan before I start this installment. I would like to thank Niyaka for sending me a long detailed suggestion for my next chapter, which I sadly could not use. Thanks again! I love you and all my reviewers.))

Kaoru couldn't stand this man. "Listen Kenshin, I know what your up to." She said her voice clear and precise. His head cocked to the side and one eyebrow shot up.

"What do you mean 'what im up to?'" Kenshin asked baffled.

"God damn it Kenshin. Do I always have to spell things out for you? I know what you did this morning. Did you think you could get away with it?" Kaoru asked her voice inundating with anger.

"I think you do need to spell it out for me because, I don't know what you're talking about." Kenshin said nonchalantly leaning against the doorframe.

"Oh please!" Kaoru said her words sharp and threatening. Then she heard someone's light footsteps coming down the stairs. Kenshin turned around and Kaoru peered into his house to see a tall man walking down the staircase.

His light brown hair reached for the sky and his pools of deep chocolate for eyes searched the darkened room for the intruding visitor. He was wearing a reddish brown button down shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows. And a pair of black pants torn and faded.

The same goofy grin that always graced his face was present as usual and he stared lazily at her as he jumped the last few stairs. He quickly joined Kenshin at the doorway staring at Kaoru then at Kenshin. "What's happenin' here? Is that...Jou-chan?" He asked his eyes widening with disbelief.

"Sano!" She cried smiling widely. Sano was like an older brother to her and that was part of the reason she had run so frantically to Kenshins room earlier that month when he walked in on them. She didn't know what would happen if he knew something was going on with her and Kenshin.

Sano had been her next-door neighbor since she could remember and he always looked out for her. Seeing him here comforted her and gave her a new refreshed confidence. She now felt like she could slap Kenshin around and still have strength to yell at him and drive home satisfied.

Sano smiled at her widely. "What are you doing here Jou-chan, especially so late at night." He said yawning lazily. Kaoru smiled at him.

"Just here to visit." She said her eyes sparkling happily looking at her tall friend. Kenshin looked at the way both of them acted. Sano was so lazy and calm and Kaoru was so intense and emotional. They were so different, which is why, Kenshin assumed, they were such good friends. Though Kenshin didn't know they were friends because neither of them talked about each other, but maybe it was a secretive friendship.

Kenshin had seen them countless times walk right past each other in the halls without such as a passing glance. Maybe they didn't want to be associated with each other, I mean Kaoru was more of a tortured artist who hung out with the punks and Goths (I know I hate the categories to but I have to use them!) and Sano was the average popular guy.

But it was still weird to see Kaoru and Sano talking so openly. "Visit huh? So you two are together? Why didn't either of you tell me?" Sano asked looking irritated at Kenshin.

"We aren't together." Kaoru said quickly. That stung. Kenshin felt a ping in his chest at the word 'aren't'. Sano looked surprised.

"Really, is that true?" He questioned almost asking the air. At this point in the conversation Kenshin found the ground to be very interesting and his head was tilted downward. "Then why are you here?" Sano asked looking strangely at his friend.

"Oh, I just wanted a word with kenshin. Could you excuse us for a moment?" She asked sweetly smiling at Sano. Sano looked at Kenshin and raised an eyebrow. Kenshin looked up to Sano and smiled putting on a happy mask. Sano could feel the tension mounting and if he looked closely through the blanket of darkness out side he could see Kenshins true feelings through cracks in his happy mask.

Sano could tell something was up and he would beat it out of the mop top later. So Sano looked once more at Kaoru who was wearing an emotional mask as well. But through the cracks in her mask all he saw was raw untamed anger. Deep down he was afraid and gave his sympathies to Kenshin silently.

Sano nodded to them both and walked into the house and up to Kenshins room. Kenshin shut the door to his house and both of them returned to normal. Kenshin hid the small throbbing pain from Kaoru's earlier comment and looked expectantly at her.

"No one else is in your house is there?" She asked him. He shook his head. "Ok Kenshin, as I was saying before I know what you did. And im not happy." She said flatly.

"I don't know what I did, could you please tell me. Since we aren't together you have no right to keep me in the dark." Kenshin said his words sharp like a knife. Kaoru couldn't help but feel hurt. He kissed a girl then forgot about it. Kaoru would have to stop at Misao's house next to tell her what a snake kenshin was.

"Kenshin, your such a jerk! Be honest, you cannot honesty tell me you forgot what you did this morning." Kaoru said plainly. Kenshin nodded.

"Yes I can. I don't know what I did this morning." Kenshin said sarcastically. Kaoru groaned in frustration.

"Your impossible!" She yelled.

"No you are, we could easily get through this if you just tell me what I did!" Kenshin yelled just as loud.

"You kissed her!" Kaoru yelled even louder. She didn't care if the neighbors heard, hell Kenshin didn't have neighbors; he lived on a personal island. "Alright Kenshin, you kissed her." She whispered her face twisting in injury. She could feel hot tears stinging at the back of her eyes mixing with the pain she felt.

She wasn't going to cry, not anymore, not again. She had already cried one to many times for this jerk. It wasn't going to happen again. She sniffled but refused to allow her tears to fall. Kenshin looked at her speechless. His mouth was slightly open and his eyes were wide. His hand reached his face and he rubbed his forehead sighing.

His hand fell back to the side of his body and he looked to the ground. Guilt was written with permanent marker all over his face. He couldn't hide it; he couldn't look into her eyes and say that she didn't know what she was talking about and that his lips were only for her.

Kaoru couldn't believe what she saw. Her mouth was open with astonishment. "You really did kiss her!" Kaoru chocked out sharply. "I...I-I was almost hoping I saw it wrong. That you would tell me I was delusional and needed some sleep. That, that girl was my imagination but-but I was right! You-you!" Kaoru said in skepticism.

She hadn't realized that she was in denial until she saw Kenshin. Not until she read it all over his guilty face. Kaoru was quickly slipping into a depressed fury. She was so angry, so sad, and so... worthless.

Her slender hand was quickly in the air flying towards his face. Kenshin could have stopped it from making contact but he deserved it. He deserved to be hit by every woman on earth. He stood ready for contact.

She hit him so hard her other hand throbbed in pain. She made contact with his soft skin and followed through turning on her heel to walk away. Quickly after her hand turned a ferocious red throbbing in pain. Kenshins face had been hit so hard he had stumbled from his position.

His own hand met his cheek as he rubbed it for comfort. However the contact only made his cheek pulsate more. A large extorted hand mark soon was visible on Kenshins cheek as he watched her walk away. His other hand, not cradling his cheek, reached out into the air for kaoru.

He could see her shoulders gently rising up and down from crying lightly. Though she didn't want him to know she was sobbing he could see. His heart ached to hold her and comfort her crying form. Sadly all he could do was watch her walk away then eventually hop in her car and screech out of his driveway.

Kenshin leaned against his door watching her car drive over a hill and out of his sight. His hand fell to his side and his cheek was a painful reminder of her leaving. His heart was in his throat making it difficult to breathe and he felt like he could cry. He was a man, and men don't cry.

However slipping into a state of depression is ok. He leaned his head on the door. He then began to gently smack his head on the door sensing the oh so friendly feeling of pain. Then suddenly he lost his footing and fell backwards into the house once Sano opened the door.

Kenshins head hit the floor with a thud and he smiled. The thumping pain in the back of his head was masking the pain in his chest. He smiled relieved that for a few more seconds he didn't have the painful reminder that his heart had just drove off over the hill.

"Ouch! Man what did you do?" Sano asked inspecting Kenshins slap mark. Sano held out his hand to help Kenshin up. Kenshin looked at him and tried to smile but all that came out was an uncertain smirk. Kenshin grabbed his hand and pulled himself up.

"That's one tough chick! Even Megumi hasn't given me a slap hard enough to look like that!" Sano said amazed touching Kenshin cheek. Kenshin winced and shoved Sanos hand away.

"I don't want to talk about it." Kenshin said angry.

"Well I do!" Sano said. Kenshin walked into his house and up his stairs to his room. He pulled out a video game and put it in his X-box. It was a fighting game, just what kenshin needed.

"I know you don't want to talk about it." Sano said walking into his room and sitting on the floor grabbing the second controller. "But you're going to tell me if I have to beat it out of you." Sano said choosing a fighter. Kenshin chose a fighter as well and they began.

Kenshins mind was so preoccupied with the recent events that Sano was beating him. Winner. Winner flashed across the screen and Sano rejoiced. He looked at Kenshin who was absentmindedly still pressing buttons and staring out the window.

"Man, tell me what happened you haven't acted this way since...well since." Sano said struggling to find the right word.

"That was a long time ago." Kenshin growled his eyes angrily flashing amber as he glared harshly at Sano. Sano raised his hands in defense.

"Hey don't yell at me! I was there for you then and I will be now if you just talk to me about it." Sano said watching Kenshin. He looked out the window with longing. Kenshin was silent and it was pissing Sano off.

"I can't believe my two very best friends didn't tell me something was going on." Sano said crossing his arms as if to pout. Kenshin looked at him a small spark of amusement in his eyes. However it died away quickly when he remembered how harshly she had shot down that idea earlier.

"You heard her before Sano. We aren't together." Kenshin said mimicking Kaoru.

"Did she mean that much to you?" Sano asked.

"If you must know." Kenshin started. Sano smiled and leaned back on Kenshins bed ready to listen to the story. "She DID mean a lot to me." Kenshin said sadly emphasizing the word 'did'.

"But as she clearly stated she doesn't want anything to do with me. I've thought about Kaoru for a long time. Just I never had any reason to pursue her. And I was busy with some other matters." Kenshin said a dull smile on his lips that soon faded. "But when the fates brought us together by making me clean her graphite I thought it was the perfect time to start the chase."

"When she invited me to ditch school with her I took it that she had remote interest in me. However I soon learned that my assumption was far from true. We did some stuff and somehow we ended up asleep together curled up on one of my couches. Sano do you remember that day you interrupted me?" Kenshin asked. Sano sat up and looked horrified at Kenshin.

"That was Jou-chan!" Sano yelled surprised. Kenshin nodded.

"Holy shit!" Sano screamed. "She actually went through with it," He asked.

"No, anything but." Kenshin said glumly.

"She freaked out, I found out she has had a trying past." Kenshin said and Sano grimly nodded. "I guess you could say I stalked her, I did follow her around a lot to her house and stuff but if I didn't I wouldn't have gotten anywhere." Kenshin said.

"Then I ended up hiding in her closet and listened to her talk to her friend Misao about a bunch of stuff. She got really mad and I told her to come find me when she felt better." Kenshin said shortening the story to Sanos dismay.

"And so today at school, I..." Kenshin said his words fading out. Sano urged him on and he reluctantly started again.

"I kissed another girl." Kenshin said guiltily and he could see the anger growing on Sano. "You better have a reason, Kenshin. Im not afraid to come after you." The over protective Sano began.

"God damn it Sano I didn't think she would be there!" Kenshin began but was cut off by sanos large hands wrapping themselves around his small neck. Sano jumped up on the bed so quickly Kenshin didn't know what hit him until he remembered he couldn't breathe.

Kenshin clawed at Sano's hands and he released enough so kenshin could speak. "You better have a hell of an explanation." Sano spit out at him.

"Sano!" Kenshin yelled as loud as sanos grip would allow him. Sano let up a little more when Kenshins eyes flashed amber once more. Sano knew Kenshin was letting him choke him; he could have been out of the death lock long ago.

"I kissed Sakura." Kenshin said his voice low and scratchy. Sano loosened up on his neck so much that he only had his hands resting on Kenshins neck. "Sakura? But you two broke up?" Sano said questioningly his anger dieing down.

Sano then pressed hard down on his neck causing Kenshin to cough violently. "You mean to tell me you hurt Kaoru for a girl you already broke up with!" Sano yelled heatedly. Kenshins face was turning red and he nodded.

Sano pressed harder and Kenshin poked Sano lightly in the side watching him jump in laughter. Kenshin rubbed his neck now free form Sano's bear grip. "Yes Sano, I hurt Kaoru for a girl I dumped. However, That girl didn't know she was dumped until today." Kenshin said flatly sitting up and staring at Sanos confused face.

"Huh?" Sano asked dumbly.

"Sakura was on vacation when I called her house and left the dump message on her machine. Her parents accidentally deleted all the messages before listening to them when she got home last night. Today at school, I dumped her. Kaoru must not have seen her tear stained face when I kissed her good bye." Kenshin stated sighing.

Sano, being in the kneeling position, sat down heavily looking disappointed at Kenshin. "Sorry about the neck thing man, I didn't know." Sano said rubbing his own neck in embarrassment.

"So, how are you going to get her back?" Sano asked light-heartedly after a pause. Kenshin brought his eyes up to Sano's.

"What do you mean how am I going to get her back?" Kenshin asked in doubt.

"Well you love her." Sano said and a faint red blush captured Kenshins face. "Its over Sano. She hates me, she doesn't want anything to do with me." Kenshin said.

"That's not true. Look at me I was strangling you a bit ago and you told me the truth and im fine now." Sano said. Kenshin stoked his chin in contemplation.

"Your right but what makes you think I can get her back?" Kenshin asked.

"Because she loves you to. Didn't you see the way she was crying when she took off and she didn't want to believe you had kissed Sakura? The look on her face was her begging you to tell her she was wrong and everything would be ok. She wants you to sweep her off her feet and take her away." Sano said as if Kenshin didn't see it before.

"How did you know what she looked like?" Kenshin asked then Sano pointed to Kenshins windows were you could see right above the door. "Oh." Kenshin said smiling.

"So you saw how hard she hit me?" Kenshin asked rubbing his stinging cheek.

"Yea, but I could tell by how red it is." Sano said laughing at Kenshins expense. Kenshin rolled his eyes. "Man she hits hard." Kenshin said quietly. Sano rubbed his elbow nodding.

"You don't know the half of it." Sano said rubbing the scar that was on his elbow. Kenshin looked at Sanos arm in bewildering surprise.

"She did that!?" Kenshin squeaked.

"Not exactly, she pushed me, and I feel...off a cliff." Sano said rubbing the back of his head embarrassed.

"I don't think she pushed you, I think you fell." Kenshin said to Sano who was shaking his head violently.

"I swear to god! She pushed me because I...she pushed me and we were on a field trip to this big fancy cliff and I feel. It wasn't a long drop but I broke my elbow." Sano said haughtily.

"Why did she push you?" Kenshin asked a pink Sano.

"I don't remember." Sano said lying through his teeth.

"I think you do." Kenshin said smiling. "What did you do?" He prodded.

"I said she was flat-chested, but had a nice ass." Sano whispered. Kenshin burst out laughing tears rolling out from his eyes. He was beginning to feel hope towards Kaoru the more he talked to Sano.

"I thought you have known her your whole life." Kenshin stated. Sano nodded a faint blush still on his cheeks.

"Then shouldn't you know she has a bad temper and basically hates men?" Kenshin asked. A goofy smile spread across his lips.

"It was true...a lot has changed since then though." Sano said trailing off into his memories. Kenshin leaned closer pulling back his arm and punching Sano hard on the arm.

"She's your friend, remember!" Kenshin yelled at him.

"Yea but she's single now...And you don't seem to be going after her." Sano said smiling, a twinkle of insubordination in his chocolate eyes. Kenshin stood up.

"What do you want me to do?" He asked loudly throwing his hands up in the air. Sano looked at his desperate friend.

"Well, if she had the courage to come over here to your house, go over there." Sano said simply.

"You want me to just waltz over there and apologize?" Kenshin questioned.

"Yes." Sano said plainly. Kenshin fell over then stood up again glaring at Sano stupidly. "Ok, I could give it a try." Kenshin said. He walked into his closet and grabbed a long dark red trench coat.

"Sano, stay here, it shouldn't take long." Kenshin said a renewed sense of confidence. Kaoru was wishing it wasn't true, she did love him and Kenshin knew it. Sano jumped onto a beanbag and smiled at Kenshin shaking his head.

Kenshin jumped into his car and drove quickly to Kaoru's house. Once he got there he sat in his car staring at the moon infront of him. He could see its creamy whiteness from above Kaoru's house.

He took a deep breath closed his eyes for concentration and got out of his car. He stepped up her walk and knocked on her solid wooden door. After a few seconds he heard light footsteps approaching the door. The door opened slowly and a tall man stood in the doorway.

"Hello, may I help you?" He asked his piercing green eyes cutting into Kenshins softened purple ones. He cleared his throat and stood up tall trying to keep his eyes on the older mans. 'Who is this?' Kenshins mind screamed.

'Didn't she say her father was out of town? But his green eyes are so harsh and intense yet lively, like Kaoru's. It must be her father.' Kenshin thought. Her father stood patiently awaiting an answer.

"Oh, excuse me, is Kaoru home?" Kenshin asked calmly. Her father took a good look at him up and down.

"You wouldn't happen to be that boy, Kenshin, would you?" He asked looking at him with threateningly questioning eyes.

"Umm, yes." Kenshin said trying to sound cool and collective. That failed with flying colors.

"Wrong answer." Her father said folding his arms across his broad chest and peering down at Kenshin with vengeful eyes. Kenshin couldn't have felt smaller.

"Umm, could I ask why?" Kenshin said his voice on the verge of shaking.

"My daughter has been hurt one to many times by you and I wont allow you to do it again." Her fathers booming voice came down on Kenshin. Kenshin inwardly shuttered at how loud and forceful her father was.

"But sir you don't understand." Kenshin started but her father cut him off.

"Oh yes I do, you consulted a friend and he gave you the confidence to come over here and make things right. But all you will end up doing is hurting her further. I suggest you just go home and ice that nasty mark on your cheek." He spat at Kenshin then turning to walk back into his house.

Kenshin was speechless standing there dumb-founded. "But sir-"Kenshin started when the door slammed. The air from the blow pushed the loose hairs out of Kenshins face. He exhaled irritated by her father's ignorance. Kenshin turned to walk to his car when he had a brilliant idea.

'Kaoru's got a window in her room.' Kenshin thought smiling. He grabbed a handful of small rocks and began to walk around her house towards her window. He separated one rock and tossed it up to her window hitting it softly. It made a rather loud ping noise however and Kenshin hopped it was the right window.

When nothing happened he threw another rock, a little harder. He began to think she wasn't in her room. He threw one more rock and turned to leave. Then he saw faint light spill onto the grass behind him. He turned to see the light in her room had turned on. Kenshin smiled feeling better.

He tossed his last rock at her window. Then the curtains on her window moved and her head peeked from behind it a smile lighting her face. When she saw Kenshin she frowned her red eyes dropping. Kenshins smile wavered a little at her reaction.

She closed her curtain and Kenshin frowned bending down to pick up another rock. He tossed it at her window and he could see her shadow looming infront of the window. She stood as if she wasn't sure she wanted to talk to him.

Then her window opened slowly and her hand grasped the edge of it. She poked her head out looking sadly down at him.

"Kenshin, what do you want?" She asked her voice filling with sorrow. She sounded as if she had given up, like she just couldn't hold on much longer. She just wanted this day to end so she could move on with her life.

Kenshin frowned at how incredibly miserable she looked. "Kaoru, I wanted to talk to you." He called up to her quietly.

"I know that. What do you want?" Kaoru asked trying to get to the point so she could get to bed.

"Kaoru, I'm not going to lie to you, I did kiss Sakura." as Kenshin talked Kaoru cringed at the mention of the kiss. "But it didn't mean anything." Kenshin said hopefully.

Kaoru shook her head. "Kenshin, a kiss never means anything when you can get in trouble for it." Kaoru said laughing from exhaustion. She put her hand on her forehead from being so disappointed in kenshin. "You wouldn't have kissed her if it didn't mean anything." Kaoru said slowly in a hushed voice.

"But you don't understand Kaoru-"Kenshin started before she cut him off.

"No Kenshin you don't understand. You told me to trust you, to trust that I could love you and that I wouldn't get hurt. You told me to open my heart, and I did. I came to school that morning to find you, to tell you that I thought about it and decided I could trust you. But Kenshin, when I see you kissing another girl I know you aren't thinking of me. And I know you don't trust me. So how can I ever trust you?" She said tears beginning to roll down her cheeks.

Her nose began to run no matter how hard she tried to stop it. Kenshin looked up to her frowning a look of remorse tripping over his face. "But Kaoru I-"Kenshin said when kaoru interrupted him again.

"Kenshin! I don't want to hear it." Kaoru said slowly closing the window.

"But Kaoru, I love you." Kenshin whispered at the closed window. His head hung low he walked to his car. His drive home was silent as his heart continued to crack and break. Tears welled up in his eyes but he blinked them away refusing to cry.

He wanted to be like a manly man, not crying if his life depended on it, but when he hurt this much he didn't care if he was on national TV crying. He had to press his palm to his chest it hurt so much; though the pain was not tangible he couldn't help but feel like the pressure on his heart reduced the hurt.

His vision grew misty and he blinked trying to stop the tears. They wouldn't seem to go away; every time they would go away new ones would form. Kenshin shook his head trying to rid her image from his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about how she looked before she shut her window. Her long black hair was in a high ponytail but most of it had fallen out into her eyes.

Her lips were small and her dangerously blue eyes were filled with disgust. She stood her arms crossed looked angrily down at him. The worst part about the whole thing was the fact that she was staring at him; she didn't have that look of disgust for anyone else but him.

The look of treachery and betrayal upon her face was directed at only him. If he had known Kaoru would be so hard to get then hurt him so much he would never have accepted ditching with her. He only went because he thought she was hot. Then he only stay with her and practically stalked her because he though it would be fun. She was hard to get so he wanted her.

She was new and different and he needed a change. Then he began to actually like her. Soon he could tell he was falling hard for her. Now he realized that he just hit the ground then tumbled off a cliff.


	9. the portrate

Hot tears slowly hit the ground and her chin began to tremble. She heard a knock on her door; she looked surprised and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Come in." She said quietly. Her father stepped into her room.

"That Kenshin boy just stopped by." Her father said a scowl present on his face and his head looking down the hallway as if Kenshin were standing there. He then turned his head to look at his frustrated yet lovely young daughter.

Her cheeks were pale and her nose was a light pink. Her deep blue eyes still held the same sorrow they had always had, it just seemed to rise above the rest of her emotions now in her time of desperation.

"You have your mothers eyes." He said slowly taking large steps towards her. He led her to her bed and they both sat down as Kaorus eyes began to water.

"Dad, please don't bring her into this." Kaoru said her voice depleted. "It will only make things worse." She whispered.

"But your mother can still help." He said in a kind soft voice. Contrary to the one he used on Kenshin minutes ago.

"How? How can she help me? She's crazy, she doesn't know what's happening in my life and you telling me that I have her eyes wont make my heart whole again." Kaoru said bitterly glaring harshly at her father. He looked hurt but he knew he would get this reaction from his rebellious daughter.

"Kaoru." He said putting his hand on hers. "I know you decided a long time ago that you didn't want what happened to your mother to happen to you. But life goes on; if you're constantly preoccupied with worrying over one thing other problems will arise. If your always worrying that you will turn out like your mother then something else horrible could happen." He said in the wise voice that only a father could possess.

"Like what?" She asked sniffling but interested in this particular lecture like speech.

"Worrying so much that you'll turn out like your mother could cause you to lose some one who cares about you very much. It could cause you to say rash things and regret things you do. It could cause you to never trust anyone, even someone who would never hurt you, ever. Someone who trusts you more than you will ever know, and possibly more than you will ever accept. It could cause you to lose someone like Kenshin." He said slowly trying to help his daughter and reduce her tears at the same time, which turned out to be a very difficult task.

Kaoru was sitting listening to her father speechless. She couldn't believe that her father, the man beat by her insane mother, would talk that way. Her father could tell she was confused and he just smiled warmly at his daughters gaping mouth.

"Kaoru, I wouldn't trade what your mother and I had for the world. Yes it was stupid of me to start drinking, and I should have seen the signs, but I love your mother. And I've gotten over it and moved on. You should to." He said smiling a twinge of sadness dripping form his cool misty eyes.

Kaoru smiled but still blinked in confusion. "Dad, how are you ok with what she did. It was unacceptable." She said quietly almost as if she spoke it to loud her mother might hear.

"It was, but I wasn't any better." He said in a hushed tone. "I guess I started drinking because I knew there was something wrong with your mother. I guess I started to get rid of the thought that my wife might have a problem." He said slowly smiling warmly at Kaoru as if she were the most interesting thing in the world. The way a father looks at his daughter, that look that only dad's have for their children.

"But-" Kaoru began until he cut her off for another time.

"Kaoru, when you love someone it's a beautiful unconditional thing, you cant control who you fall in love with. You just have to go with it and pray they feel the same always and forever. And sometimes it doesn't work out, but when it's over you cherish the memories and don't look back on anything but the happy times." He said looking up a bit at her ceiling as if reminiscing about something.

"And it looks to me like the one your in love with loves you too." He said referring to the persistence of Kenshin. "You better grab him and never let go." He said as if telling her the guidelines of love.

"And if he hurts you…" He said his voice getting rough and his hand tensing. Kaoru slowly put her slender cold hand around his warm uptight one and he looked at her. He held her hand for a long time staring at his attractive child.

"So…what are you going to do?" He asked almost anxiously.

"Im not sure, you're a powerful speaker dad, but I need to think this through." She said quietly kissing him lightly on the cheek. He stood up looming over her small figure. Slowly he turned around and walked out the door carefully closing it behind him. Exasperated, Kaoru flopped down on her bed and closed her eyes.

Kaoru began to remember the times she had with Kenshin-good and bad.

…There was that time they met…a long time ago, back in kindergarten.

----------Flash Back----------

A tiny frail young boy with a fire engine red mane covering his small head ran down the halls of a bright cheery school. His big purple eyes were watery and large streaks of wet tears rolled violently down his soft face. He had a slight trace of a red Kool-Aid mustache circling his large wailing mouth and relatively white skin. He was a small boy, even for his age as he ran down the hall in light blue shorts and a stripped red and white polo shirt with several large spills along the front.

The teachers, who either disliked the trouble-making child or just thought nothing of the common noise, ignored his incoherent shrieking. He was running as fast as his small legs could carry him up and down the halls screaming loudly for his mother. She had left this morning for a business trip and he missed her loving touch. This noise lasted for quite some time until a fed up young girl peeped out of her classroom door despite the teachers warning.

The girl's classmates distracted the teacher while she casually walked out into the halls watching the screaming, running boy. Her long ebony hair was tied into two low braided pigtails and her skin was a silky white. She had large inquiring blue eyes that were dark and deep. She was somewhat taller than the boy and bulkier. The red Kool-Aid stain was barely visible around her mouth and she was wearing a bright pink gap shirt and matching pants.

As she studied the boy she figured out his problem even though his calls were barely understandable. However, she was able to make out a 'want' and 'mommy'. As he came closer to her he didn't see her until he felt the contact. She had walked up quickly to him and had wrapped her arms tightly around him, stopping him form moving further.

Her warm body pressed against his in an affectionate yet forced hug. She didn't really like boys, she believed they had cooties, but if it got them to shut up she would hug them. Even though the boy didn't like girls and avoided them like the plague he still leaned into the embrace. He smiled and wiped his eyes on her shirt. He pulled back quickly so his friends wouldn't say anything but he felt warm inside.

He looked up to her and smiled. She smiled back and quickly ran back into the classroom a wide smile plastered on her chubby face. He stood in the hall stunned and happy. He didn't actually realize that anyone else in the school liked him. Though he didn't know who she was, he knew she was nice. He slowly walked back to his classroom and sat quietly the rest of the afternoon.

----------End Flash Back----------

Kaoru smiled thinking of their first encounter. Though she didn't know him then, she later found out whom he was and that he wasn't just a whiny kid anymore.

…There was also that time on the playground that he tripped her

----------Flash Back----------

Kenshin jogged out the doors of the brown school and into the warm slanted rays of the sun. He was following pursuit of a cute girl in his class that was just released form staying after class to help him clean up a rather large mess of glue. He stood besides her smiling stupidly and talked idly. She caught sight of Kaoru playing with a small girl, named Misao, near the swings.

She smiled wickedly her blonde hair blowing lightly in her face and her green eyes sparkling in the light. She looked over at Kenshin batting her eyes teasingly and swayed side to side asking him sweetly if he liked Kaoru.

"Well I don't know her." He replied indifferently.

"Well I don't. Kenshin, do you like me?" She asked casually trying to get him on her side.

"Of course I do." He said smiling wider if possible.

"Well if you really like me, you'll go over there and trip Kaoru." She said pushing him a little towards Kaorus direction then giggling a bit. In the haze of excitement that his crush liked him too he walked over to where Kaoru and Misao were playing tag.

He nonchalantly stuck his foot out infront of Kaoru only meaning for her to stumble a bit. Kaoru felt her left foot snag on something but she had been running so fast that she couldn't be sure what. Before she even realized what was happening she had her hands out infront of her bracing for the contact.

She could feel the sticky black mud squish under her weight and the thick dirt stick to her face and limbs. She was covered in wet black mud as she slowly got to her knees. She stared down at her favorite shirt covered in dark mud. Tears began to pour form her eyes clearing a path out of the brownish colored mud. She looked up her dark indigo eyes filling with wisps of turmoil and sadness.

She sniffed as she saw Kenshins retreating form running to catch up with a laughing blonde girl. Misao quickly rushed to her side and helped her up and into the nurse's office. Kaoru didn't go to school the next day.

----------End Flash Back----------

Kaorus eyes started to tear up at the thought of that rather sad memory. She was made fun of for years. However, she got over it, she got over everything. For some reason Kenshin seemed to always be her source of humiliation. He would leave her alone for a few months or a few years, and as soon as she got over one tragedy, he would embarrass her again. He personally made sure her life was hell.

But he was such a good kisser…

"Keep focus Kaoru…" She told herself shaking her head. That last comment stayed with her for some time as she remembered just how he tasted. She remember the times he would embarrass her, which always seemed to be because of peer pressure. He always seemed to be doing it to impress a girl or get a good laugh with his buddies, not because he was mean. Some times she could tell when it was coming. He would walk towards her with this look in his eyes that almost said 'I don't want to, but my friends want me to be a jerk.'

Some times she could avoid it for a few weeks just by staying as far away form him as humanly possible. However you cant stop the inevitable. But she also remembered the good times. The times when they would be alone in a random hallway and she might drop her books and he would help her pick them up. Or she would only get one valentines card and it was from him, always reading 'Have a happy valentines day, Kenshin…P.S. Don't tell any one about this.' She never told, she never questioned, normally she just ripped it up.

She knew it must have been out of sympathy but she needed none of that. He was making her life hell at school and her mom was finishing his job at home. She would come home exhausted form the touchier then have to go through a mental and physical beating from momma. Kenshin was rude to her as a kid but every year it seemed he got better. More craftier, yes, but also the touchier was less often.

Soon after her mom was checked into the nut house her dad vowed to stop drinking and she was enrolled in high school. Kaoru snapped out of her memories and had made up her mind; she was going to tell him how she felt. She was going to tell him that she loved him and even though he was stupid and out of his mind she didn't want to lose him.

She was going to sleep on it, make sure she was making the right choice. But before she slept she went digging through her bag and pulled out the old picture she had started of Kenshin. She had tried to draw him how he really looked on the inside and had failed. But she knew just how to draw him now.

She drew and colored deep into the night working hard on her new project, bound and determined to finish it. She wasn't sure if she was going to show it to Kenshin or not but she had to finish it. She soon fell into sleep and before she knew it, it was morning. The suns rays woke her up and for once she awoke before her alarm went off. She wasn't going to be late.

She got dressed slowly in a dark purple top with a lighter one underneath and light blue pants. Her hair was up in a messy ponytail tied with a matching purple ribbon. She threw her bag over her shoulder and ran down stairs feeling good today. She found her father was making eggs and toast. She smiled grateful that she didn't have to eat a bagel like she had been having lately.

She happily ate it smiling. "I take it you made a decision." He said slowly in between bites. She smiled and nodded her head. He smiled as well happy for her and just as soon as she had sat down she had fled from the table. She jumped into her car and put the keys in the ignition.

She pulled into the parking lot of the school and found a nice close spot. She sat in her car staring blankly at the wall of the reddish brown school. Large butterflies were flapping their wings in her belly and she couldn't settle them. She was not only worried about the task ahead, but she didn't want to see him kissing another girl again.

She couldn't stand feeling the hurt of betrayal again. She had practically dumped him, even though they were never going out. So there was a chance she may be to late, but she had hope.

Carefully as if she had something glass on her head and didn't want it to break she walked form her car into the school.

A/N: I know this is a short chapter but I think the next might be the end and I've kept you waiting so long I didn't want you to be like…I waited three months for this!? I don't have a very good excuse for the long wait, only that school is rough and my computer was broken for a while and I had already wrote the beginning of this chapter and because it was broken I lost the beginning. But its better and I got it back. Thanks so much for putting up with me! So I am so sorry for the long wait…flog me as you will…oh and by the way…happy christmahaniquanzica!


	10. the beginning of an end

A/N: Well sorry this took a while to update last time lots of stuff has happened and things have gotten screwed up. So I hope you like the ending and I could make a alternate one if you think its lousy or I can continue the story if you don't think it should end now. So drop a comment and tell me what you think! Later!

She opened the door carefully and let go of it quickly as if it was scolding hot. She walked in a slow yet quick pace. She was hesitant because she was afraid she would catch him kissing another girl but wanted to talk to him so badly. She wanted too much to just find him upset and broken up about this, if anything to find him at home, to depressed to go to school. But she could only hope.

She walked to her locker and got her books she needed. She searched the halls for Kenshin but didn't see him. She went to her first period class not paying attention. She had missed a lot of school and had too much to make up. So she decided she was just going to sit and look interested while she was doodling on her desk.

With out realizing it she began to think about him and what she was going to say. How he was going to react, she was beginning to freak herself out. 'What if he doesn't accept me back? What if he doesn't like me anymore? What if he hates me? Or, what if he already got a new girlfriend?' She thought to herself.

Questions like that just kept running through her head over and over again. Her brain turned numb and she was snapped out of her daze when the door opened and a mop of red hair walked in through the door. Kaoru looked up eagerly to see it was only Jimmy, who had come back from a trip to the washroom.

Now Jimmy, the other red head in her school, was crushing her hopes. What are the odds of that! That period soon ended and she rushed into the hall searching all over for kenshin keeping an eye out for Jimmy as well so she didn't mistake them.

Again she couldn't find him so she went to her next class. She was starting to worry. She didn't know where he was, if she didn't find him at school she would go to his house. During this class kaoru began to get tired since she had been staying up late for the past couple of days.

Slowly she began to fall asleep. She folded herself on top of her desk and slowly drifted into slumber. She smiled as she began to dream. Later the teacher walked by her desk and gently woke her up. She looked up to her and smiled dully.

"Hey." She said in a harsh voice as she blinked her eyes. The teacher smiled as well but in a more snotty way. "Office…now." She said in a quick tone. Kaoru stood up reluctantly and walked, dragging her feet, out of the room. She purposely slammed the door at her teacher. She hated her.

She walked slowly down the hallway and turned into the office. She looked excitedly toward the office assistant chair and was disappointed to see it was empty. She frowned and walked into the principal's office.

She talked to him and found that she was stuck with several detentions. She sighed and walked back into the hallway. As she walked slowly towards her class she saw the glimpse of someone in the corner of her eye.

She had already given up her search for kenshin but decided to look one last time. She turned around and walked backwards looking for the person behind her. She found him walking towards the office. She saw that he had long red hair tied at the nape of his neck and was a little taller than her.

Her mouth opened wide and her eyes were the size of dinner plates. She dropped the slips of paper she had in her hands and quickly ran towards the guy walking. However, the paper she had dropped caused her foot to slip from underneath her. She fell onto the floor and practically bounced. She quickly scrambled to her feet and ran blindly towards him.

Once she reached him he opened the door and turned. She quickly stopped moving her feet and planted them on the ground, which caused her to slide. She ran back towards the door and by the time she got there he closed it in her face. She came close to running into it but to her luck she stopped within inches.

She opened the door quickly and looked around the office. And to her surprise, no one was there. She opened her mouth and looked around once more. "He was just here." She said in an exhausted voice.

She walked around the large desk and sat in the assistant's chair not wanting to go to class and not believing that she made that guy up. But he opened the door…

She couldn't believe it. She rested her head on the desk and lifted it then slammed it down. Without realizing it the principal's door opened. Kaoru continued to slam her head on the desk until she heard someone behind her clear their throat.

Her head snapped up and she stared at the wall for a while. Slowly she turned her head as she realized how incredibly quiet it was in the room. She looked up to see black. She found herself looking strait at a tight black sweater and dark blue slacks.

She looked up further and was looking strait into the round purple eyes of kenshin. A small smile crawled onto her lips as she stood up to his eye level. In a flash she saw a glimpse of him kissing that girl, Sakura, and her smile faded. She shook her head slowly and tried to put that smile back on her face.

She pushed the image to the back of her head and opened her mouth to speak. She couldn't think of anything to say, she had planned everything out earlier and she could go on forever…but now.

Now nothing could even come out of her mouth. She just looked at him with her mouth slightly agape. She could see impatience in his eyes but there was also something else. She could see hurt. Just a sparkle but it was there.

She got a little excited from the thought that he cared about her. No one else tried so hard to get her. She stepped a bit closer to him even though she was already near him. She brought her hand up to the back of his head and rested it on his neck.

Kenshin looked at her in surprise and his skin tingled. Every hair on his body rose as he felt her skin against his. He took a quick glance at her outfit to find she was wearing a color he would never expect her to wear. Purple. She was wearing purple.

But he guessed it was weird to see him in black as well. It seemed like both of them had switched wardrobes. He brought his eyes back up to her beautiful blue ones ands looked into them with difficulty. He almost winced when he saw them shine.

Kaoru was a bit puzzled by his reactions and saw that everything he did confused her. With in seconds Kaorus mouth was clasped over his in a gentle kiss. Kaoru's world froze at the contact as she continued to kiss him. She couldn't help herself.

She had never been big on romance, but with Kenshin it was different. When she saw him she just wanted to kiss him until there was nothing left in her then go back for seconds. She had never felt like this before. So when she couldn't think of any way to say sorry she showed him.

Kenshin was just standing there trying to get back to work when she put her hand on his neck and even then he didn't want to look at her. Because looking into those pretty ocean blue eyes was like that tingling hurting feeling you get after your foot falls asleep but in the heart.

He wouldn't allow himself to further hurt himself when he knew she obviously wanted nothing of him. So he looked away back to the papers and deliveries he must make and before he knew what was happening he felt the soft lips he had desired so much crash onto his.

He closed his eyes and savored the sweet taste of her candy lips and prayed to god it was Kaoru he saw when he opened his eyes. When Kaoru parted from him he felt like his source of happiness was ripped from him. He opened his eyes timidly and was ecstatic to see Kaoru, looking a bit uneasy but happy.

Kenshin couldn't hold back a large ridiculous grin. Kaoru giggled slightly at the face he made and bit the inside of her cheek in a nervous manner. She looked to the ground.

"Kenshin I'm-" Kaoru started but stopped slightly to glance up at him with large heart warming eyes. She looked back to the ground and tried to start again by taking in a small breath.

"Kenshin-" She started once more but stopped when she felt his finger resting on her chin. He lifted her face so she looked at him. He was smiling kindly and his eyes radiated the same sympathy and tenderness as they had before.

"Kaoru, I love you." He said in a hushed tone as if someone was around to hear him. Then he leaned in and pulled her face towards him a bit and they shared their second kiss. When they broke apart Kaoru kept her eyes shut for a few more seconds and bit her bottom lip trying to keep herself under control.

"Oh." She said in a quick small voice as her eyes snapped open in the reaction of remembrance. She quickly picked up her bag that she had thrown on the floor when she sat down in Kenshin's chair.

She rummaged through it for a while then pulled out the picture she had been working on that night. She looked at it for some time studying it and making sure everything was as it should be. Before she turned it around she looked up to see she had peeked his attention with the piece of paper.

"Kenshin-" She started preparing herself to explain this. "For some time now I've been trying to figure out how I could draw your inner self…even before this whole mess I've been thinking about it. And I could never get it just right.

"I could never figure out how I could draw you…your personality, your mood. But now, I think I got it just right." She said as she flipped the picture of him around so Kenshin could see. Kenshin's first reaction was that she really was a great artist but he soon realized something was wrong with it.

"Kaoru it's amazing…but…it looks just like me." He said as he took the picture from her hands to study it carefully. Kaoru only nodded. Kenshin gazed at the mirror image of himself for some time until he heard her speak.

"Kenshin, wonderful people look gorgeous but those of us with scars on our past and jealousy in our hearts are somewhat more ugly. You are perfect the way you are. You are handsome for your kindness and serenity but your weaknesses show through your shortness and cross scar." She said watching his movements for disapproval or hurt.

Though all she found was Kenshin's mouth opened slightly as his dazzling purple eyes took in the colorful picture of him. She smiled, satisfied that her work was appreciated and looked at him for a long time.

Once Kenshin seemed to have taken in the whole effect of her art he set down the piece of paper and looked at her bashful blue eyes. She smiled as she returned the look.

"So…we're good?" He asked quietly in a very hopeful tone. She nodded as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders in a large hug. Kenshin was a bit surprised by the sudden touch but he could get used to it…very used to it.

"Kenshin I love you and I'll never let you go." Kaoru whispered into his ear when the principal's door opened form behind them. They both looked over to see the principal walk out his arms crossed looking angry. He coughed loudly and they both blushed as they separated quickly.

"Lets leave that to off campus please." He said in an almost disgusted voice. They nodded quickly and slunk out of the room. Once Kaoru was out of the office she burst into laughter so Kenshin joined in hesitantly.

She walked towards the doors of the school and Kenshin grabbed her hand. So they walked hand in hand out of the school to ditch another day. As they walked they heard banging on the glass from either side of them. Kaoru looked one way and Kenshin the other. Kaoru saw Misao and the rest of the class peeking through the window at them.

Misao waved and made a kissing motion to tease Kaoru. Kaoru blushed a bit and gave her a thumbs up, smiling wildly. Kenshin saw Sano and all of his friends smiling and giving Kenshin the thumbs up and mouthing 'nice catch.' Kenshin blushed slightly and looked behind him at Kaoru then back towards the school and smiled winking at his friends. Who then got excited and high fived each other.

They both turned towards each other and showed off to their friends by kissing one last time. Kaoru still couldn't believe that she had missed out on this for so long just because she couldn't trust people. And Kenshin still couldn't believe he had waited that long for it…but it was worth it.

A small roar of cheering could be heard from the school as they walked together to her car. Every thing was right with the world and Kaoru had finally closed up her wound and opened her heart.


End file.
